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Sofia Deeb

English 103H

Granillo

8 November 2018

Deconstructing Tradition: A New Take on an American Classic

The Great Gatsby, a movie based off the classic American novel, was originally released

as a film in 1974 and then remade in 2013. The film tells the story of a man named Nick

Carraway, who moves to Long Island, New York in search of a better life. Non-coincidentally, a

millionaire named Jay Gatsby, moves in right next door. As the story unfolds, we come to

understand that Jay bought the house next door to Nick in hopes of befriending him and

ultimately rekindling his long-lost romance with Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby’s plan

proves to be more difficult than he expected, as it turns out that Daisy is married to a wealthy

man named Tom Buchanan. However, even more scandal arises when we find out that Tom is

having an affair with a woman in the city. Nick, along with another one of Daisy’s close friends

named Jordan, find themselves caught in the mists of the group’s scandalous lifestyle. On the

outside, The Great Gatsby appears to tell the story of a forbidden romance, and one man’s quest

to win back the woman he loves. Using a concept known as deconstruction, however, we can

break down the movie to reveal several hidden meanings. By deconstructing this film, we can

see how The Great Gatsby can be seen through the lens of Marxism or feminism. Both

viewpoints work to decenter the film’s narrative away from its central paradox as a traditional

love story, and attempt to prove a greater point about society in the 1920’s.

The concept of deconstruction stems from a long battle between structuralists and post-

structuralists. The goal of structuralists was to determine the “central paradox” of a text, or its
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universal meaning. For centuries, semioticians used structuralism to uncover meanings within

texts. However, a group that disagreed with this way of reading came about—they were known

as post-structuralists. Post-structuralism argues that it is possible for a text to hold multiple

meanings. A French philosopher known as Jacques Derrida took this idea one step further. He

was the first propose the idea of deconstruction. Derrida believed texts to be “unstable”, or

lacking one true meaning. He created the concept of deconstruction as a way of reading into

texts. He stated that, “A deconstructive reading is a reading which analyses the specificity of a

text's critical difference from itself” (Johnson,1991). In other words, deconstruction looks at all

possible meanings of a text and compares them to one another. Deconstruction also aims to shed

light on possible meanings that would have otherwise, been overlooked.

As we begin to deconstruct the movie, The Great Gatsby, several Marxist themes present

themselves. The concepts of Marxism stem from the ideas of German philosopher, Karl Marx,

who is best known for his political pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto. In this book, Marx

explains the goals of Communism and provides a critique of society of the time. He separates

society into two groups: the proletariat and the bourgeoise. The proletariat referred to the

middle or working class, while the bourgeoise were the upper, capitalist class. In the movie,

Nick’s status as a member of the proletariat class is constantly emphasized. It is made clear to

viewers that he does not come from money, as he moves to New York in search of a better life.

Nick moves into a small, one-story house, seemingly hidden amongst the mansions of the

neighborhood known as “West Egg”. Despite wanting to be an author, he must take up a job as a

bond salesman in order to sustain his new life in the city.

Gatsby, on the other hand, represents the bourgeoisie, as he spends his days relaxing by

the pool or throwing lavash parties in his mansion. The struggle between the proletariat and the
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bourgeoisie becomes evident through the juxtaposition of Nick and Gatsby’s neighboring, yet

significantly different, houses. According to Marx, “the bourgeoisie, or those in power, stripped

proletarians, or workers of their humble worth by placing value on their services” (Granillo, 2).

We see this concept come into play as Gatsby purchases the home right next door to Nick’s and

tries to entice him with his wealth. The first notable instance of this is when Gatsby invites Nick

to one of his extravagant parties--where Nick receives treatment far superior to the rest of the

guests. Nick approaches Gatsby to thank him for his hospitality, and later finds out that in

return, Gatsby wants him to set up a date between him and Daisy (The Great Gatsby, 49:37). In

this way, Gatsby used his money to exploit Nick. It can be argued that the friendship between

the two neighbors was never really genuine, and that it was merely a way for Gatsby to cover up

the fact that he was using Nick for the service he provided. Viewing the film through this lens

suggests that Gatsby was not the hopeless romantic that many viewers see him as, but rather, a

con artist who took advantage of the proletariat class in order to live out his fantasy of winning

over Daisy.

As we further deconstruct The Great Gatsby, another Marxist theme arises. The Marxist

theory of society and the individual consciousness suggests that, “it is the society that makes the

individual…In other words: an individual’s identity is determined solely by their class, or mode

of production” (Marx, 775). In the movie, we see how each characters’ membership to either the

proletariat or bourgeoisie class plays a significant role in the decisions they make. Nick for

example, moved to New York in an effort to gain exposure and further his career as a writer. His

position as a member of the proletariat class, however, keeps him from living out this dream.

Instead of working on his writing, he finds himself being pressured into numerous favors for the

rest of the group—such as organizing the date between Gatsby and Daisy and accompanying
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Tom on his many trips into the city. Throughout these scenes, Nick seems to display feelings of

reluctancy and discomfort, leading us to believe that he did not truly want to take part in any of

these activities. On several occasions, he explains that he feels, “within and without,

simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life” (The Great Gatsby).

This quote shows how Nick felt that he did not have the same worth within the group as the

others, who were part of the bourgiosie class. It can be argued that his identity as a sort of

“floater” within the group was predetermined by his low socioeconomic class.

Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy were affected by this idea of society and the individual

consciousness as well—perhaps even more severely than Nick. However, rather than just their

class, it was also their mode of production (referring to capitalism) that determined their fate.

During the 1920’s, the economy was booming and America’s ill attempt to ban alcohol through

the Prohibition act led to the increase in cheap, bootlegged liquor. As members of the

bourgeoisie class, Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy were able to purchase all the liquor they wanted. It

becomes evident throughout the storyline that the group’s excessive alcohol consumption leads

to their lack of rationale. Nick explained that, “none of [them] had contributed anything…the

tempo of the city was approaching hysteria… the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper”

(The Great Gatsby, 3:30). Despite knowing their actions were wrong, the group engaged in

affairs, binge drinking, and even murder. Marxism would suggest that these actions were a result

of societal factors and were not true reflections of their character. Viewing the movie from this

lens reveals how The Great Gatsby works to show how the 1920’s served as a turning point in

American history, in which capitalism and classism became increasingly prevalent, leading

people to act irrationally. From a deconstructive point of view, it can be argued that the movie
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aims to provide a critique of the time period, rather than simply telling the story of two star-

crossed lovers.

In addition to marking the disintegration of American’s rationale, the 20’s were also a

pivotal time period for women. We can further deconstruct the Great Gatsby to see how it can

also be seen as a movie about feminism. To understand the significance of the female characters’

roles in the movie, it is important to take note of the advancements that were taking place during

the time in which the movie is set. In the 1920’s, women earned the right to vote. Because of

this, they began to gain more independence, which led to an increase in acceptance of “single”

women in society. More and more women began entering the workforce and remaining

unmarried. This ultimately led to the emergence of the “flapper” or, “young women known for

their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous,

immoral or downright dangerous” (“Flappers”, 1). In the movie, Daisy perfectly embodied this

idea of a flapper for her ability to challenge the patriarchy and go against the traditional role that

society had assigned to her.

The patriarchy is a concept that suggests that power lies at the hands of men and that

women are primarily powerless and devoid of social privilege. This phenomenon is further

supported by idea of the “angel vs. monster dichotomy”. Authors, Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan

Gubar first introduced this idea in 1979, in their book titled, Madwoman in the Attic. Their book

suggests that historically, women have been known to take on one of two personas: an angel, or a

respectful woman who does as she is told--often taking on the traditional role of a housewife-- or

a monster, which is a rebellious woman who goes against traditional gender roles (Gilbert and

Gubar, 14). Women who are labeled as being “angels” are often placed up onto a metaphorical

pedestal by society. A woman on a pedestal is expected to act a particular way—and when they
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don’t, it is as if they have fallen off their pedestal, and are often ridiculed by society. As

feminists, Gilbert and Gubar hoped to challenge the patriarchy by suggesting that women do not

always have to fit into this rigid dichotomy, and that they should be free to be any kind of person

they want.

Daisy exemplifies the feminist concept of the angel vs monster dichotomy in her ability

to alternate between the two personas. At the beginning of the movie, Daisy is portrayed as an

angel—marrying Tom at a young age and staying home to raise their daughter, Pammy. She is

placed up on a pedestal by all those around her, including her cousin Nick—who is troubled by

Gatsby’s infatuation with her, as he believes that she would never do anything to jeopardize her

marriage with Tom. However, after Nick agrees to organize a date between her and Gatsby, we

see Daisy’s character shift suddenly into the monster persona. Being around Gatsby quickly

reminds her of the love she once had for him. The two begin having an affair, making trips to

see each other while Daisy’s husband, Tom, is off in the city with his own mistress. She

eventually confesses her love for Gatsby when she says, “I did love him once, but I loved you

too” (The Great Gatsby). Gatsby is initially thrown off by this comment, as he doesn’t

understand how the women he viewed as angelic could possibly be in love with two men. For

Gatsby, this was the moment that Daisy fell off her pedestal. He refused to believe that the

woman he loved was in any way similar to the flappers, in the way that they openly engaged in

sexual and romantic freedom, thus he asked Daisy to choose between him and Tom. Towards

the end of the movie, however, Daisy reverts back to her angel persona as she chooses to stay

with Tom for the sake of keeping the family together, despite not truly feeling content in her

marriage.
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The movie’s relation to feminism is perfectly summed up in a quote by Daisy. When

discussing the whereabouts of her unhappy marriage, she explains how Tom was away with his

mistress during their daughter’s birth. Feeling alone and overwhelmed, she found out that she

had given birth to a girl, and said, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in

this world, a beautiful little fool” (The Great Gatsby, 11:51). While the meaning of this quote is

often debated, from a feminist perspective, it can be assumed that Daisy is referring to the

patriarchy. Even though women began experiencing more rights in the 1920’s, there was still an

overall expectation of how women should act. The society in which Daisy was living in did not

value women who represented the monster side of the angel/monster dichotomy. Women who

dared to go against the patriarchy or speak up for themselves in times of inequality were often

labeled as fools by society. Despite feeling sad in realizing that her daughter would have to deal

with the negative effects of the patriarchy, she hoped that Pammy would one day be able to live

the life that she wants to, regardless of the ways in which society may label her. This quote from

Daisy captures the overall message that viewers may be searching for in analyzing this movie

from a feminist lens. Gatsby and Daisy’s love for one another provides more than just a romance

narrative—it works to go against the patriarchy by showing how women cannot always be

categorized by society as either angel or monster.

Jacques Derrida’s concept of deconstruction allows us to decenter the narrative of the

American classic, The Great Gatsby, away from its central paradox. On the surface, the movie

appears to tell the story of one man’s desperate quest to win over the woman he loves. In fact,

the movie has been acclaimed by critics for its romantic narrative. However, by deconstructing

its storyline, two hidden interpretations are revealed—one relating to Marxism and one relating

to feminism. Viewing the movie from the Marxist lens reveals to audience members how
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Gatsby’s position as a member of the bourgeoisie class led him to take advantage of his

neighbor, Nick, who was a member of the proletariat class. Furthermore, Marxism suggests that

each character was bound to a specific course of action based off of their socioeconomic class, as

well as other social factors. The feminist interpretation of the film suggests that Daisy’s

character worked to demonstrate women’s ability to rebel against the patriarchy. She

demonstrates both the angel and monster personas of Gilbert and Gubar’s dichotomy, showing

how women cannot always be placed in a specific category. In analyzing this film, we are able

to understand how its true value lies not in its romantic narrative, but rather, in its ability to be

decentered and allow for a variety of interpretations.

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Works Cited

“Flappers.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/roaring-

twenties/flappers.

Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the

Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. Yale University Press, 2006.

Granillo, Ashley J. “Marxist Criticism: An Introduction.”

Johnson, Barbara. The Wake of Deconstruction. Blackwell, 1995.

Marx, Karl, et al. The Communist Manifesto. AHM Publishing Corporation., 1955.

“The Great Gatsby.” Paramount, 2013.