Even primates have a hierarchy system to help keep order between them.
Shown to the left is the dominant male in a chimpanzee clan with some other clan members. Though there is some differentiation between certain chimpanzees in a clan, most are ranked equally under the dominant male.
By embedding the theme of social class in a novel, Fitzgerald is forcing his readers to think critically about social class in society and the class system. Readers must look at the details of life in varying social classes and interpret them and their meanings for themselves. By doing this, they are much more likely to comprehend the message desired by Fitzgerald; that social class does in fact exist and that we are, if anything, encouraging it and furthering the difference it represents with our extravagant ways of life. Everyone likes to formulate their own opinion and no one likes to have someone tell them what to think. When a person comes to a conclusion about a profound idea themselves they are more likely to believe it and practice it. Therefore, by carrying the theme of class throughout his novel, Fitzgerald has provided an opportunity for each reader to develop the same ideas and opinions about social class and class systems as he held; however he helped them to do it seemingly on their own.
Social class is by no means a man-made concept. A wide variety of primates have similar hierarchy systems to humans for leadership which shows that some difference in social class is natural and necessary. However, humans have never been content with this simple, biased structure and have tried to differentiate themselves further from others who they believe are “less than” themselves in some way. This has blown simple hierarchy way out of proportion and has also created social class. A belief like Tom Buchanan’s that Nordics are the predominant race and should be held in higher regard than all others does not only encourage this inflamed obsession with class, but also causes people to further remove themselves from others, creating a viscous cycle.
Social class is by no means a man-made concept. A wide variety of primates have similar hierarchy systems to humans for leadership which shows that some difference in social class is natural and necessary. However, humans have never been content with this simple, biased structure and have tried to differentiate themselves further from others who they believe are “less than” themselves in some way. This has blown simple hierarchy way out of proportion and has also created social class. A belief like Tom Buchanan’s that Nordics are the predominant race and should be held in higher regard than all others does not only encourage this inflamed obsession with class, but also causes people to further remove themselves from others, creating a viscous cycle.