MARXISM IN THE GREAT GATSBY. Social Sciences Essay (Essay Sample)

MARXISM IN THE GREAT GATSBY
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Introduction
Marxism approach is based on Karl Marx philosophy centering on the notion of power and control that is possessed by an individual or that a person has over the society (Schaff, 2013). The underlying argument in Marxist perspective is that the person with production ownership has control over the whole society as well as the whole culture (Lukacs, n.d). A Marxist perspective to The Great Gatsby may be concerned with social class representation, and the manner in which wealth and power are attained and retained by various characters. A quick review, of the entire novel, will reveal many examples that work together to depict Marxist literary theory (Nilsen, 2009). The novel focus mainly on the wealthiest members of the society, who spend much of their time in leisure and few lower class individuals. The wealthiest are represented by such characters as Tom and Daisy, who hail from wealthiest family and have been in the money for generations. The lower class is represented by Wilson, and his wife Myrtle and Gatsby crosses the bridge between poverty and richness where he started as a low class and escalated to wealth though in a questionable (Berman, 1996). The depiction of the social classes reinforces the view of Marxist that classes should not exist, where wealthiest are egocentric and rude toward underprivileged. Wealth and commodity controls the wealthiest by virtue of autonomy that is alien to man, making them to behave in ant-social way (Lukacs, n.d).