Alienation and Social Classes Karl Marx

By: Michael C. Colon, Aiyana Walker, Gisselle Robles, Gianna Cicchetti, Toba Mohammad , Dennis Heffernan and Sabrina Marotta

Alienation and Social Classes: CENTRAL CLAIMThe central claim of Karl Marx's "Alienation and Social Classes" relates to Fitpatrick's The Great Gatsby, as it analyzes the influence of the ruling class on the lifestyle of the proletariat, and the reaction of the proletariat to this influence, feeding directly into the preservation of the social hierarchy.

Benefits of Self Alienation – the possessing classAlienation and Social Classes– The wealthy work together to keep

their high status in society and become richer and richer

– The working class are and wealthy depend on each other and sets the standard of the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor

The Great Gatsby– The rich in East Egg don't have to

worry about money and becoming poor

– Daisy and Tom thrive off the lower class especially Tom who takes advantage of the Wilson's

Formation of a whole from the separation of the two classes

Alienation and Social Classes– "The proletariat executes the sentence that

proletariat-producing private property passes upon itself, just as it executes the sentence that wage labor passes upon itself by producing others' wealth and its own property" (Marx 60)

– The working class make the wealthy's products and the wealthy are the ones on top

Great Gatsby– The poor remain poor and suffer,

the Wilson's want to leave the Valley of Ashes, Gatsby is the one who breaks the standard of the poor staying poor, Gatsby comes from rags to riches and is able to have big parties every week

Conservative Antagonism

Alienation and Social Classes

" From the former comes action aimed at preserving the antagonism..."(Marx, 60)

The Great Gatsby

– "its up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things"(Fitzgerald, 13)

– In order to stay in the higher class, the wealthy preserve there riches therefore leaving the rest of the population in the opposite position.

Destructive Antagonism

Alienation and Social Classes

– "… from the latter, action aimed at its destruction" (marx, 60)

The Great Gatsby – "His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm

people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God . . . and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." ( Fitzgerald, 98)

– The working class work had to move up in society. most do not but some do like Gatsby. although he is wealthy now he was once poor therefore viewed down upon. at the end even with his richest he was looked at like the poor boy that he used to be.

Physical Poverty: Proletarian Circumstances"…this poverty conscious of its own spiritual and physical poverty, this dehumanization that is conscious of its own self as a dehumanization and hence abolishes itself." (Marx 60)

The proletariat experience the physical effects of an impoverished lifestyle, while their will to change and abolish classism and the existence of a ruling class keeps them from becoming emotionally bankrupt. Those who must work to provide labor in support of the ruling class can be argued to be more spiritually intact, and more bound to rebel against their class role, than those who possess the riches for which the proletariat strives.

Spiritual Poverty: Consequences of AffluenceAlienation and Social Classes– The members of the upper class

have more, for which they haven't worked, and are more inclined to accept their prosperous situation

– The rich realize within themselves there is a void unable to be filled by money – tend to overcompensate by being materialistic and decadent

The Great Gatsby– "Your place looks like the World's

Fair,' I said. 'Does it?' He turned his eyes toward it absently. " (Fitzpatrick 81)

"Alienation and Social Classes" VS The Great Gatsby

[Insert Topic Sentence here]. Fitzpatrick's character Jay Gatsby shatters this standard Marx appeared to have set in stone by starting his live as a common man, a poor member of the proletariat. Through the lens of Marx's analysis, Gatsby is a consequential contradiction, part of both classes, as he flaunts his wealth as a current upscale mansion owner, though is humbled in his overall personality. Taking no visible joy in his wealth, Gatsby leaves most displays of his wealth to be evaluated by those of his current class, departing from most of his decadent house parties in favor of solitude. The plight of those who strive overwhelmingly to become rich is all but exemplified by these actions alone, as Gatsby's wealth can buy infinities of material possessions, but enjoying the fruits of his labor has a much more sentimental effect that he, in his avarice, can no longer enjoy.