Fitzgerald and Austen delve into the complexities of social class within their novels, albeit through different lenses and periods. Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice" focuses on early 19th-century England, emphasizing the pivotal role of finances in determining social status and exploring inter-class prejudices.
Fitxgerald suggests that people can never truly escape their social class and that lower class people cannot hope to compete with the upper class in spite of the American Dream
Extensively explores the discrimination between social classes in the context of the 1920's
How have Fitzgerald and Austen presented the Dynamics of Social Class in their novels?
Members of the Upper echelon
Daisy Buchanan
A point of interest:Both writers use alliteration in their titles for emphasis. Austen to emphasise the theme's of her novel. While Fitzgerald uses it to emphasise the his narrators view of man who tries to rise above his class.
Relationships restricted by difference in Class
In The Great Gatsby however, Fitzgerald suggests that the lower class can never rise above their place and find happiness. He suggests, that if they attempt this they will merely be put back in their place.
The superficiality associated with high class
Mr Darcy
Pride and Prejudice
Austen representation of affluence is different to The Great Gatsby. With good manners being a sign of high class, and Gatsby's Rolls Royce being substitued for a chaise and four
Austen explores, as the title suggests, the inter-class prejudice of the early 19th century
Austen puts greater emphasis on the importance of finances in establishing social status.
Contrastingly, Pride and Prejudice ends with the obligatory "marrying everyone up with a million pounds". The protagonists are able to overcome the adversity of social class and find happiness.