Notesale: Turn your study into money

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The themes of Social Class, Forbidden Love, Truth vs
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“When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the
world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted
no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human
heart
...
” (Page 1) – Gatsby may be low-class, and Nick has
been taught not to associate himself with those sorts of people, but Nick
still manages to see something good in him anyway
...
The idea of ‘new money’ and ‘old money’
is one that stretched back as far as the Eggs do, with ‘new money’ living in
the West Egg and ‘old money’ living in the East Egg
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1
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My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty
yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented
for twelve or fifteen thousand a season
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Nick feels slightly daunted stuck
between two ‘huge places’ but it is also comforting to know that you may
be classed in the upper class if you so much as knew someone who lived
in one of those two houses
...
By
associating with him, they are trying to increase their own wealth and
social class
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“The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard” (Page 5) …
“My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had
been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my
neighbor’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires – all for
eighty dollars a month
...
He is glad for the opportunity to get to know some of the
richer people, even if they are from the West Egg, which is the ‘less
fashionable of the two’
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“So Tom Buchanan and his girl” … “Get on the next train” (Page 18) –
Myrtle is classed as ‘his girl’ even though she is not technically Tom’s wife
and this shows the fine line between difference in social class and
difference in gender
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His words of
‘get on the next train’ show that he is able to do what he likes merely
because of his station in life
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4
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’ ‘It’s a bitch,’ said Tom decisively
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The dog-seller in this scenario would know
better than Tom what gender the dog was, but when Tom deemed it to be
a girl no one disputed it
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The
difference in class of Tom and the dog-seller is gigantic as he is merely a
man on the streets whereas Tom lives in a huge mansion with expanding
lawns and a beautiful view
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5
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’ Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at
the shiftlessness of the lower orders
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’” (Page 22) – Myrtle wishes to be of a higher class
and therefore she associates herself with people like Tom in order to
increase her station
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6
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” (Page 23) – Mrs
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Although she is not as rich as Tom and Daisy
Buchanan, she must have had more money than the man she was going to
marry
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7
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” (Page 23) – Myrtle is full of self-importance
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She believes she is of a higher
station than she actually is and she must be the center of attention at all
times or she tries to snatch it from whoever has it
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Also, Tom lives in the East Egg, one of the richest parts
of New York, whereas Wilson lives in a tiny shack in a run-down place
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“There was music from my neighbor's house through the summer nights
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” … “And on Mondays eight
servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with mops and
scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the
ravages of the night before
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This is because Nick always has to clean up after Daisy and Tom so
he may feel like he can connect to them
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9
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I said I'd been making a small investigation
of his past
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‘An Oxford man!’ He was incredulous
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" (Page – Chapter 7) – Education isn’t all about reading books, you
also have to act and dress like a member of your class
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This makes Tom Buchanan
feel that Gatsby is lower than him and that Tom does not have to pretend
to be nice to him because he is not worth it
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We shook hands and I started away
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‘They're a rotten crowd,’ I
shouted across the lawn
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’ (Page – Chapter 8) – The word ‘worth’ tells the reader that
Daisy and Tom may have been born with money, but they are not ‘worth’
anything
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This is why Nick prefers him to the stiff-backed, holier-than-thou
Buchanan’s
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“I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively
and without hesitation
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” (Page – Chapter 9) – Money
can’t buy you love, but it can buy you a lot – like the ability to have other
people clean up your messes
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They feel that they are entitled to this
because they come from ‘old money’ and not the ‘new money’ that Gatsby
is, or the City of Ashes
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It was almost like she was using Gatsby’s love
for her and twisting it until she had him eating out of her hand, but as
soon as things got tough, she left him alone
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“Then he kissed her
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” (Chapter 6) – In that moment Gatsby

achieves what he desires most, a chance at social mobility disguised as a
kiss from Daisy
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The kiss
symbolizes reciprocation in Gatsby’s infatuation with the wealthy and
higher-class characters in the novel, as his recent performances, with
characters such as Dan Cody, had made him of interest to their kind,
giving him the social mobility he so desired in his previous stage of life
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“Wha’s” … “Din’” … “Wonder’ff” … “Gas’line” (Page 36) – He is uneducated,
as shown by the way the slurs his words
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Gatsby is higher than him in social class even in the eyes of Tom
Buchanan, who believes that Gatsby is the worst kind of man
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Someone of Tom or Gatsby’s class would never allow
themselves to get as drunk as that
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“But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was
content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a
curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was
trembling
...
He is reaching towards something so far
away and out of his reach
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Gatsby is reaching forwards, but he is actually reaching back into the past,
towards a Daisy that doesn’t exist anymore
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They share a forbidden love because they are from completely
different social backgrounds
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"Here, deares'
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"Take 'em down-stairs and
give 'em back to whoever they belong to
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Say: 'Daisy's change' her mine!'" (Page – Chapter 4) – Daisy knows
that the fabulously expensive string of pearls that Tom gave her is about
to become a chain
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Gatsby and Daisy share a
forbidden love because she has been brought up to marry for money
rather than love and even though she loves Gatsby she would never
marry him because he did not have the money or associations that she
needed
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He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued
everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew
from her well-loved eyes
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Once he nearly toppled down a
flight of stairs
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However, she left him
once and she could do it again
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Their
love would never work because she was not committed to it
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4
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‘Why of course you can!’”
(Chapter 6) – Gatsby is in love with the Daisy of the past, not the Daisy she
is today, and due to this their love affair could never work because he was
in love with a mere specter and she was in love with the idea of love and
excitement
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“…Eventually he took Daisy one still October night, took her because he
had no real right to touch her hand
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Gatsby knows that he doesn’t
have the ‘right’, class and economic standing, to possess Daisy
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Even ‘new wealth’ – like that of
Gatsby’s – was looked down upon by the titled nobility
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6
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” (Page –
Chapter 8) – Gatsby put an immense amount of effort into masterminding
a facade of wealth to win over Daisy
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He
wishes to fit into her social world and then he can take her from Tom, but
he could never fully belong – no matter how good his education was, or
how well he spoke – because he came from a less rich background and it
is hard to escape from the social barriers that kept them apart
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Gatsby seems to lack
security and self-confidence and the only way he can establish it is to
appear economically capable
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“Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth
imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes, and of Daisy,
gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor
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He sees Daisy as a tool that he can use
to be a part of the old wealth section of the upper class
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Not only
that, he describes Daisy the same way he would an aware – ‘gleaming like
silver, safe and proud’ – objectifying her while he claims to be in love with
her
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That is why their love is forbidden and was doomed from the start
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8
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” (Page – Chapter 8) – Daisy’s spirit moves with the season, which
means that she doesn’t want to settle down
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This also meant that, if the two ever
got together, their love would be doomed from the start because Gatsby’s
entire life had been revolved around getting Daisy and once he had her,
he’d be content and settle down as well
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“She wanted her life shaped now, immediately – and the decision must be
made by some force – of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality –
that was close at hand
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However, due to Gatsby’s absence, she was
caught in a conscious battle debating whether or not she was to wait for
Gatsby to return, or move on
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He was
wealthy and able to provide the lifestyle she was ready to live
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“‘I’m going to drain the pool to-day, Mr
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Leaves’ll start falling
pretty soon, and then there’s always trouble with the pipes
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(Chapter 8) - Gatsby tries to defy the passage of
time and cling on to the past; even as the autumn leaves are beginning to
fall, he won’t let the servant clean the pool, and instead decides to go
swimming as though it were still the height of summer
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11
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” (Chapter 6) – Gatsby is often found lurking
in the corners of his lavish parties; but it is because he is awkward or
scared to talk to people
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Now that she is finally here he allows himself to cut loose and finally
enjoy his own party
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Daisy and Gatsby’s love would forever

be forbidden whilst Tom was still in the picture, as he wouldn’t let them
act freely of their love for each other
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12
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” (Chapter 6) – This
describes Daisy’s prejudice’s against ‘new money’ and the culture from
the West Egg, especially Broadway and the culture of rich people that
come from there
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She was
‘appalled by West Egg’ and yet Gatsby lived there
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“And she doesn’t understand,” he said
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We’d sit for hours –” (Chapter 6) – Gatsby is struggling to accept that
things and people can change in five years
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Gatsby is so set
on recreating 1917 and the love he and Daisy had before he went to war
that he is almost detached from reality
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Their love is a forbidden one because he
cannot let go of the past and she doesn’t wish to revisit it
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“‘You resemble the advertisement of the man,’ she went on innocently
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He has managed to convince her
completely that he belongs in the elite class she is a part of
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So she says
out loud that he has convinced her that he, too, belongs with them in their
world of richness and perfection
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15
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It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one
except me!’” (Chapter 7) – This is how Gatsby rationalized Daisy marrying
Tom to himself, so that he could keep the dream of reuniting with Daisy
alive
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He never asked Daisy about any
of this, he just assumed it to be true
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Truth VS Reality

1
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‘Doing great things’ is only beneficial insofar as it gains you the
prize at the end; Gatsby has no need for real-world ambitions if he gets
the prize – in this case Daisy – without effort
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“‘I’m going to drain the pool to-day, Mr
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Leaves’ll start falling
pretty soon, and then there’s always trouble with the pipes
...
(Chapter 8) – Gatsby tries to defy the passage of
time and cling on to the past; even as the autumn leaves are beginning to
fall, he won’t let the servant clean the pool, and instead decides to go
swimming as though it were still the height of summer
...


3
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He is still living
in the past, where he had Daisy with him and no money
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Gatsby
focuses so strongly on trying to get what he had in the past that he cannot
face the reality that he cannot have Daisy
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He also thinks that he can buy her with his money
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He loves Daisy so much that he cannot see how
money corrupts her
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“‘And I hope she’ll be a fool – That’s the best thing a girl can be in this
world, a beautiful little fool
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Daisy wears white, which represents purity, but she is corrupted
by money, which is gold and yellow
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5
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You’re worth the whole damn bunch put
together
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He realized the corruption that money brings
and while Gatsby allows money to possess him, Nick can see the
destructive force of it
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Nick portrays an honest person
because he does not lie or cheat
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He realises that money is not everything
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“The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard”
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Whereas, the reality of
the matter is that the beautiful mansions only hid the ugliness inside
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Although Jordan Baker is beautiful and
outgoing, she reveals herself bit-by-bit to be uncaring and ruthless
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However, as the novel progresses Daisy manifests
her carelessness, selfishness and apathy
...


7
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’” (Page 29) … “‘He
was a German spy during the war…’” (Page 29) – Gatsby’s ‘aristocratic’
pose is a front for his criminal operations
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In the first few chapters, Gatsby remains a mysterious figure and
the reader only hears snippets of information about him from various
people that may or may not be true
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8
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‘She only married you
because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me
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It is how he rationalises Daisy’s marrying
Tom rather than waiting for him like she said she would
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If she left Tom for
Gatsby she would still have the money but not the power and influence
because he comes from ‘new money’ rather than ‘old money’ like Tom
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“‘No,’ said Gatsby, shaking his head
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He refuses to see the truth of the matter, and that is that she loves the life
of luxury she leads with Tom and her social class will decrease if she
leaves him for Gatsby
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She was in love with the idea of being in love with
Gatsby, but she was truly in love with the money that Tom provided
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“‘Even that’s a lie,’ said Tom savagely
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We could believe that Daisy truly loves Gatsby and that, given
the time, she would leave Tom for him, or we could believe that she loves
to be the centre of attention and she does not feel satisfied if she does not
have two men panting after her, or we could believe that she is in love
with Tom
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11
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’” (Chapter 7) – Gatsby makes the presumption that
Daisy is leaving Tom without ever consulting her about it
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She could not leave the life of luxury she lives with him, even though she
knows that he is unfaithful to her
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Daisy is not ready to settle down
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Gatsby has to convince himself that she is truly in love with him
rather than just saying it but we are never sure whether that is the actual
truth or not
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“‘Go on
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I think he realises that his presumptuous little
flirtation is over
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He is so confident that Daisy isn’t interested in Gatsby
anymore that he orders her to drive home with him
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The language used
to describe the way Tom looks at Gatsby reinforces the idea that Tom is
just a man who looks down at everyone
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The truth
is that Gatsby is truly in love with Daisy rather than it being a ‘little
flirtation’ as Tom likes to think
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“‘…If he tries any brutality she’s going to turn the light out and on again
...
Gatsby loves Daisy
so much that he will take the fall for her after she kills Myrtle Wilson, but
he knows that nothing will ever be the same again, no matter how much
he tries to live in the past
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“‘How long are you going to wait?’ ‘All night, if necessary
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’” (Chapter 7) – Gatsby doesn’t want to admit that his
American dream is over and he can’t get Daisy
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He’s waiting for Tom to mess up which is really unlikely as Tom
is also quite desperate to keep Daisy
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He does not want to be seen as the man whose wife
left him
...


15
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” (Chapter
8) – We can see the length and the magnitude of Gatsby’s yearning for
Daisy
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Even at this

stage it seems Gatsby does not understand the barrier between him and
happiness, which is the marriage of Tom and Daisy
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The truth is that Gatsby has already lost
Daisy, and he knows it, but he will not allow himself to think it
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“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of
Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of
Daisy’s dock
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The color of the light on her dock, which Nick
associates with the “fresh green” of the “New World” that greeted
European sailors, symbolizes the innocence and purity of that dream —
ironic, given the extent to which it corrupts both those born into it, which
includes Tom and Daisy, and those who struggle to attain it, such as men
like Gatsby
...


2
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It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we
will run father, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning –”
(Page 115) – With a retrospective melancholy, Nick relates the true
nature of the American Dream
...

Nick breaks off with harsh aposiopesis from the statement “And one fine
morning—” to emphasize how Gatsby’s dream is dead
...
Gatsby’s hopes for an
“orgastic future,” the pinnacle of life itself, haven’t came to fruition
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He has become just as invisible as his nameless origins, as
his servants, and the members of the “unseen” lower class
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He injured Tom in that he
tried to make Daisy leave him
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And he injured Wilson by supposedly killing Myrtle
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3
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” (Page 115) – They are all ‘borne back ceaselessly into the past’ as
though they have to look for the wrongs they have committed and

attempt to put them to right
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4
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Daisy comes over quite often –
in the afternoons
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She shows this in the only way she truly knows how; by having an
affair with him behind her husbands back
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It is
almost like she is ashamed of what they are doing and does not wish for
any of it to get back to her husband
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“‘That’s because your mother wanted to show you off
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To Daisy her child is almost non-existent; Daisy has a nanny and
yet she doesn’t work
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Daisy believes that she has done wrong by having a child with
Tom when she is still in love with Gatsby and she feels like she needs to
atone for this sin but she is not sure how and she wants to get Nick or
Jordan’s opinion on the matter
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“‘She doesn’t look like her father,’ explained Daisy
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She’s got my hair and shape of the face
...
She is trying to inadvertently tell
Gatsby that she does not love Tom and she loves only him but she cannot
actually say the words with Tom only in the next room
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“‘I’m right across from you
...
’” (Chapter 7) – The bay separates
Gatsby and Daisy’s houses and could represent the relationship Gatsby
has with Daisy
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Him leaving for war and not telling her when he would
return was the catalyst for her leaving him and marrying Tom instead
...

8
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Come on – we’re all willing to go to town
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He is now atoning for
having the affair with Myrtle
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9
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’” (Chapter 7) – Even
though Tom is atoning for his affair with Myrtle, he does not believe that
he is in the wrong about Daisy’s affair with Gatsby and that it is all her
fault that she is in this predicament
...
This ‘apparently pointless remark’ is actually a direct jab at
what Tom believes Gatsby’s station in life is
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“Tom pushed the unfamiliar gears tentatively, and we shot off into the
oppressive heat, leaving them out of sight behind
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He
shows his frustration of feeling betrayed by releasing his anger on the
unfamiliar gas pedals providing a quick get-a-way from the unexpected
truth
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Tom refuses to believe that he is in the wrong and that Gatsby is fully to
blame for the affair that has taken place right under his nose
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“‘I’ve made a small investigation of this fellow,’ he continued
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This is ironic considering Tom has been having
an affair with Myrtle for longer than Daisy and Gatsby have
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12
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’” (Chapter 7) – Tom can’t believe that
Myrtle would consent to leaving town and not being with him anymore
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This is a daunting prospect to Tom, who believes
that he is Gods gift to the world
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“‘And now she’s going whether she wants to or not
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’” (Chapter 7) – This statement of Wilsons suggests that Wilson
knows that Myrtle is seeing someone and wants to go West so that she
can no longer see this ‘mystery’ man
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14
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” (Chapter 7) – Myrtle is terrified that
Tom will stop their affair because this was the first time she had seen him
with ‘Daisy’, who wasn’t actually his wife, but Jordan Baker instead
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15
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” (Chapter 7) – If there is one thing
made clear about Tom in this novel, it is that he loves and needs control
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And right now he has no

control, since his wife is speeding away with another man, and his
mistress is leaving town soon

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