Social Class Struggle as Seen on Gatsby and Daisy Characters In the Novel The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald in 1922 talked about the love story was namely Gatsby dan Daisy. However, their story is not depicted as smoothly as other romantic stories. Their love story has a tragic story where Gatsby was late in showing something to her lover namely Daisy, so she decided to marry Tom. 

The story is focused on money and social class through the characters. It can be seen in Nick’s perspective that told the story. Nick had a cousin was named Daisy who lived in East Egg. In the past, Daisy and Gatsby had a relationship over five years ago nevertheless their relationship must be finished since Daisy was a wealthy person rather than he is. It can be seen in chapter 7, Gatsby said “she only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me” (p. 139). What he said shows that their love is complicated due to the social gap.

The character of Jay Gatsby is told that he loves Daisy so much but he realizes that he cannot be together as long as he is still poor. Hence, it becomes motivation and ambition to collect money. The character of Gatsby is represented by a social gap where a person’s relationship in socialization can be determined by a person’s position or status (Nasution,1994:73). Social class refers to social strata based on income or economy. It has happened since the 17^th century where capitalists dominant and controls the trade, industry, and means of production. 

Based on Karl Max as the philosopher of sociologist, economist, and political stated that social class is divided into two classes there are bourgeois as ruler of land and means of production and the proletariat as factory workers. Capitalists or bourgeois exploit the proletariat in system production. According to Elly M. Setiadi and Usman Kolip (2011:365) states social change with an increase in population has made it difficult for the proletariat where the high amount of labor supply affects the low labor income so it creates a social gap that the rich become richer and the poor become poorer (Nia Widya S., 2018).

Gatsby had worked when he was 17 years old and worked with Dan Cody who owner of the yacht. It happened when he saw a big and luxury yacht, and soon as possible he flopped down and swam into that yacht. Besides, to prepare for a new change, he changed his name from Jamez Gatz to be Jay Gatsby. That name was given by his family who shiftless and unsuccessful farm. He could not accept that he lived was poor. He also got the job from Mr. Mayer Wolfsheim became a bootlegger (selling drug stores and liquor smuggler) that made him rich which can be seen on chapter 9 page 182. Before became a bootlegger, he got a job in the army but he felt his job did not support finance. In the conversation between Mr. Mayer Wolfsheim and Nick seems that Gatsby was so poor. He could not buy new clothes and wore his uniform everywhere.

The efforts that have been made by Gatsby were paid off, he became a rich man living in West Egg nevertheless he is not finding happiness. According to his perspective, that love can be bought since she is wealthy. Nevertheless, he still cannot have it because Daisy is his past and has lived with Tom Buchanan. He is also described to be consumptive and hedonistic by holding a big party, such as in chapter three he held parties from and to the city on weekend between nine in the morning and long past. he also served eight servants; an extra gardener to mops, scrubbing-brushes, hammers, garden-shears, and repairing previous night’s damage (p. 43). In chapter 7, is also revealed that the reason why he bought a house in West Egg, closed with Nick, and held parties because he wanted Daisy would be across the bay and see his house since Nick's house was next to him (p. 85).

Gatsby is known as a loyal person and often holds many parties. He even invites many people from the upper class to attend his parties. A party based on status social that has the purpose to maintain a relationship with other upper class. According to Dharma Kelana P. (2018:5), a party for the aristocratic group is to fulfill their obligations to improve their status and maintain their social status in society. Furthermore, not many people know who Gatsby is. They make their judgment by saying his wealth comes from killed a man once and big bootleggers there are a lot of newly rich people get from it, even no one believed it when he graduated from Oxford.

Chapter 8 was told that Myrtle Wilson had died since was crashing by Daisy. Gatsby hides her identity by saying he was hit it. It is also supported by Tom's statement in chapter 9 that Mr. Wilson, Myrtle’s husband came to his house and almost kill him if he did not tell that who owned that car. He protected Daisy by telling him that Gatsby was the owner (p. 191). It can be seen that often aristocrats and the upper class only thought themself and clean up the mess by using scapegoat, power, position, or money. It also can be seen in a statement from Nick that they destroy creatures and treated them with their money or let other people clean up the mess. Mr. Wilson headed straight for Gatsby's house and shot him while in his pool. At his funeral, Nick realized that Gatsby was a lonely figure that no one comes to his funeral even his social class friend where it came from parties.  They only prioritize their social class as seen in chapter 9 that Klipspringer called Gatsby's phone house only ask him for sending tennis shoes left there. Nick was already asked to attend his funeral but he replies that he will certainly try since there is a picnic with people in Greenwich (p.180). In another case from Mr. Meyer Wolfsheim that he cannot attend because their friendship has ended since he died based on chapter 9 page 183.

The character of Daisy was described that she decided to end her relationship with Gatsby and chose Tom as his wife. In the principle of marriage and being realistic, women tend to be rich men who have stable finances so that her need can be filled. Based on research from a professional dating company Singapore, Lunch that has been researching four countries such as Singapura, Hongkong, Malaysia, and Indonesia with 1659 respondent there are 49,01 percent of women and 50,99 percent of men with the education level of respondents as many as 74.08 percent of university graduates revealed that the attractiveness of men to Indonesian women is their income rather than to other countries that choose their self-confidence (merdeka.com, 2015). By marrying Tom, she kept her class by marrying a fellow caste. If marry someone from a different caste, furthermore indirectly she will follow the partner's caste.

The stereotype of two regions, East Egg and West Egg were lived by Daisy and Gatsby. Nick and Gatsby are described as a new rich and new money rather than East who was lived by Daisy is described as old money and descent from a rich family. According to SparkNotes was accessed on February 25 2021 that a new richer is identic as gaudy, being vulgar, and lacking in social graces and taste. Gatsby is described wears a pink suit and use an ornament mansion. On contrary, the old rich are identic elegance, taste, and grace. Daisy and Jordan Baker use elegant dresses by using white dresses.

Based on the analysis, money is always not central to it. Money and position can make people happy and make it easier but they can make the owner blind. Gatsby has through many things in his life nevertheless in reality he becomes a royal to cover himself and maintain his status. As said by Nick’s father Nick that all the people in this world do not have the advantages as you (p.1). It means that not everyone has happiness and peace as nick has.

Disclaimer: This blog was posted to make people more critical to see the whole of the literature work.

I hope you do not copy and paste. Just to be your references. 

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References

Merdeka.com. (2015, February 24). Hasil riset: Perempuan Indonesia matre dalam memilih pasangan. Retrieved from https://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/hasil-riset-perempuan-indonesia-matre-dalam-memilih-pasangan.html

A Novel View of US History. (2016, February 25). East V. West (Money). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from Union.edu website: https://muse.union.edu/hst226-wi16/east-v-west-money/

SparkNotes. The Great Gatsby: Themes. Retrieved February 25, 2021, from Sparknotes.com website: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/themes/

Bouti, S. (2013). American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Jurnal Inovasi, 4(1), 1-9.

FRANCINE, T. M. (2018). The Influence of Class and Gender Upon the Patriarchal Society In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: A Marxist Feminist Perspective (Doctoral dissertation, SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY).

Wangkanusa, M. N. (2015). ‘Anxietas Tokoh-Tokoh Utama Dalam Novel the Great Gatsby Karya F. Scott Fitzgerald. JURNAL ELEKTRONIK FAKULTAS SASTRA UNIVERSITAS SAM RATULANGI, 2(2).