Themes:Class + Wealth Flashcards
How does Fitzgerald contrast the different social classes in The Great Gatsby?
The lavish lifestyles of the rich in East and West Egg contrast directly with the poverty of the Valley of Ashes, highlighting the fashionability of old-money East Egg against the flashy display of West Egg’s newly-acquired wealth.
How does Fitzgerald use characters’ wealth to explore themes of materialism and consumerism?
Fitzgerald accurately uses characters’ wealth to explore themes of materialism and consumerism, illustrating how it affects the morality and ethics of society.
What do the deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle symbolize in the novel?
The deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle serve as overarching metaphors for Fitzgerald’s condemnation or revelation of the consequences of the pursuit of wealth.
What is the significance of the epigraph from D’Invilliers’ poem Then Wear the Gold Hat?
The epigraph highlights the motif of wealth and materialism throughout the novel, suggesting that wealth is the key to gaining love and portraying Gatsby’s monomaniacal obsession with Daisy.
Why were “Gold-hatted Gatsby” and “The High-Bouncing Lover” considered as working titles for Fitzgerald’s novel?
These titles highlight the importance of the epigraph’s notions of wealth and aspiration, emphasizing the theme of wealth and its pursuit in the novel.
What does Daisy’s assertion of her membership in a secret society signify?
Daisy’s awareness of her status privilege and belonging to the elite upper class is depicted through Nick’s observation, symbolizing the exclusivity of wealth and social status.
How does wealth corrupt traditional social institutions such as marriage?
Wealth is portrayed as a corrupting symbol that undermines traditional social institutions like marriage, influencing the dynamics of relationships and marriages in the novel.
How do class dynamics influence the outcomes of relationships in the novel?
By the end of the novel, class dynamics dictate which relationships or marriages can survive and which ones are destroyed, highlighting the influence of wealth and social status on love and romance.
