The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is great movie full of symbols and examples of different types of stratification, such as social status. One of the most famous symbols in The Great Gatsby is the green light at the end of the dock at Tom and Daisy’s house. To most people the light is just a light; however, to Gatsby, the light is a symbol of his love for Daisy. It is always present but out of reach. Gatsby has loved Daisy for years but has been unable to marry her because he was in the war and did not get back in time to stop her wedding to Tom Buchanan. Another symbol in the movie are the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. This was just an advertisement on a billboard, but to Wilson they were the eyes of God watching what his wife was doing behind his back.

Gender also played a large role in The Great Gatsby. Tom Buchanan admitted to cheating on his wife many times during their marriage. When he finds out Daisy is cheating on him with Gatsby, Tom is furious. It is fine that he cheats as long as his wife never leaves and is always faithful to him. There is also an element of patriarchy in the film. Tom is clearly the head of the household. He decided what they are doing with Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby. He tries to tell Daisy how she has always loved him, trying to assert his dominance over the situation. Tom, Daisy, and Jordan also show signs of gender roles. Daisy and Jordan lay around the house in pretty dresses while Tome is outside playing polo.  After Daisy gives birth she asked the doctor if she had a girl or a boy. When the doctor replied that it was a girl, Daisy was distraught and hoped that her daughter was a fool so she did not have to suffer the way that Daisy does.  This implies that if Daisy had a boy that she would not be worried about how the boy would grow up and view the world.

Marriage is also an important point in the Great Gatsby. Most people marry for love. If this had happened, Daisy would have married Gatsby. She would have waited for him to get back from the war. Instead Daisy married Tom, mostly because he had money and Gatsby did not, this is an example of endogamy. There was also a little bit of talk about Daisy divorcing Tom. Myrtle married Wilson because she thought he was a gentleman. She later admits that she no longer thinks he is a gentleman. However, Myrtle most likely married Wilson because they were in the same social class. Only Tom and Daisy got to the childbearing portion of their marriage, they had one young girl. Myrtle and Wilson did not have any children.

While education was not one of the most important aspects of the movies, it is mentioned. Both Nick and Tom went to college but it is not mentioned much. Most of the focus is on Gatsby and where he went to school. Throughout the movie he says he is an Oxford man. Gatsby was at Oxford University but he did not attend for classes. He was only there due to a mistake after the war had ended. Tom is constantly bringing up Gatsby’s lack of education in order to seem superior in some way.