Class - the Great Gatsby and the House of Mirth

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displayed when Lily Bart discusses the subject of past potential partners: "I threw away one or two good chances... you know I am horribly poor - and very expensive. I must have a great deal of money." Firstly, the choice of diction with the words ’chances’ suggests that she clearly does not regard these people as possible soul mates, but mere investments for her future. This is supported through the juxtaposition of Lily being "poor" and "expensive," expressing that she desires a very luxurious lifestyle, but cannot meet them in her current state. Hence, she intends to marry into wealth to fulfil these wants. Again, this is a very shallow and superficial mindset. The pursuit of money and material goods, which characterises the culture of high class society at the time, is another demonstration of the ideology that wealth defines all. As such, these characters have given me a deeper perspective of the materialistic nature of their lives; a product of their beliefs which influences their culture.

Finally, both these authors also apply conflict to further explain the cultural behaviour in foregoing genuine relationships for monetary and materialistic motives, which allows me as a reader to better comprehend the ideology shared by the members of America’s privileged class: wealth defines all. Daisy Buchanan, being a part of this society, is a very apparent representation of these ideals, expressed through her own inner conflict between maintaining her love for Gatsby or pursuing her intense desire for a prompt marriage. Nick, as the narrator, describes the time when Daisy was awaiting Gatsby’s return from the war where "she wanted to see him and feel his presence beside her." Unlike the superficial views of partners as previously discussed in The House of Mirth, Daisy is actually longing for Gatsby himself, which certainly suggests that it was honest love. But "all the time something within her was crying for a decision. She wanted her life shaped now, immediately - and the decision must be made by some force - of love, of money..." Her inner conflict is clearly displayed here, as within her, something was fighting against her true love for Gatsby in order to obtain the promise that marriage into rich connections can offer, which she eventually found in Tom. It would satisfy her materialistic wants that she dearly values, at the expense of her genuine love for Gatsby. The hyphens used are symbolic of her impatience, wanting that ’decision’ to be made as soon as possible. The choice of diction with the word "crying" also represents this eagerness, but at the same time demonstrates a sense of immaturity, where she cannot decide morally which is a better choice, like a baby. In terms of this conflict, The House of Mirth draws very similar parallels, particularly with Lily Bart who never considered a proper relationship with her true love; Lawrence Selden, simply because he was not wealthy enough. Being set around the beginning of the twentieth century, women in America were mainly domestic creatures and relied on the fortunes of their husbands to satisfy their material wishes, which Lily strongly yearned for. So when Selden confesses his love for her, "’ah, love me... but don’t tell me so,’ she sighed." The tone of her dialogue, enforced by the sigh, suggests an air of disappointment that she is unable to offer her own love. Selden observes "she was so evidently the victim of the civilisation which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate." It implies that the expectation of society for her to find a worthy partner makes her a prisoner; trapped and kept away from her true feelings. The simile compares her bracelet, a symbol of her materialistic desire, to chains which renders her unable to engage with him. The ideology that money defines all has very strongly influenced Daisy and Lily’s mindset, causing them inner and societal conflicts to hold priority over their material and superficial wants rather than stay true to their feelings. Again, it has all improved my understanding of the rich class in America’s early 1900s, positioning me to recognise that their spurious relationships with others is based on self-benefit.

All in all, ideologies are the basis that shape the culture of a society. For the wealthy classed Americans in the early 1900s, this ideology was that money defines all. Fitzgerald, as well as Wharton showed how their culture was affected by these beliefs, particularly through setting, character and conflict in their texts: The Great Gatsby and The House of Mirth respectively. Fitzgerald sheds light on the ridiculously expensive houses that Tom Buchanan and Gatsby had in order to gain favourable impressions from others. Then, Wharton and Fitzgerald go on to explain how indulgence in materialistic goods, shown in characters such as Daisy Buchanan and Lily Bart, lead to shallow perspectives on human relationships. Furthermore, these two authors demonstrate a sense of conflict with these same characters, which had them at a crossroads between love and wealth. The ideology has formed a culture of materialistic ideas, fake relationships and monetary motives which I believe overall is pitiful and dismal. It has helped me understand that the lives of those in the privileged society is hollow and devoid of human sentiment, which I now realise as I observe "things from their point of view" in these texts.

References

• A&E Television Networks. (n.d.). The Roaring Twenties - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties

• Fitzgerald, F. S. (2008). The great Gatsby. Camberwell, Vic: Penguin.

• Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

• Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.luc.edu/faculty/cschei1/teach/rrn2.html

• Shmoop. (n.d.). The House of Mirth. Retrieved from http://www.shmoop.com/house-of-mirth/

• SparkNotes: The House of Mirth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mirth/

• Wharton, E. (1990). The house of mirth. Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg.

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