An Analysis of Societal Disparities in the Great Gatsby, the Crucible, Fahrenheit 451 and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Exploring the Separation in Societies

Upon reading four novels where the subjects often contain assorted scenarios, it became undeniably coherent that disagreements occur often in societies, leading others to branch out, or abandon said community completely. Society has never been an facile group of people to control; throughout history, and currently, there are obstacles that stand in the way of a community operating peacefully, and without hostility. Whether the reason be because a tyrannical leader refuses to confirm to the laws the public demands, or because there was a dramatic shift in economic growth has shaped the country itself, there has consistently been a barrier that does not allow each individual to be satisfied with the way their community is operating. Reasons of this inevitable separation in societies include how one treats another in their community, why the societies became separated in the first place, as well as the end result of the continuation of individualism. Many of the setbacks society has faced in the past can correlate accordingly to the dilemmas occurring the novels.

Throughout the four novels that were analyzed, intense separation of society plays a prominent role in each written piece. This idea is demonstrated through the way the author executes the plot, allowing the characters to determine their path by the precarious decisions they make, furthering to damage the attempt of keeping a society tightly bound together. These characters are motivated by lack of respect, discrimination, continual neglect, moralistic views, and so forth. These factors are powerful enough to motivate various individuals to follow the leader's guidance, advancing towards the either tragic or fortunate outcome of rebellion.

Whether the final result is beneficial or not, it consistently causes changes to occur in these societies, as well as shift the future of it.

The novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays an eminent understanding of how the economy created conflict within the 1920s society. There is a clear distinction of who possesses an immense amount of wealth, and who does not. Those who were not considered upper class, were often left with unsatisfactory careers that did not provide enough finances to live a secure life. Numerous farms were deemed futile because of the significant drop in the horticultural expense, and the employment rate for farm workers dropped drastically. Notably, the conditions of the jobs being offered for the lower class individuals were highly known to be perilous. Soon after this issues were addressed, "A number of strikes revealed the dissatisfaction of industrial workers and a labor force largely increased due to farm foreclosures" Wheelock (3). These strikes created tension between the upper and lower class, understandably, it was the roaring 20's, therefore many people expected to receive economic prosperity. The mistreatment of the lower class was minorly addressed throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, "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" (150). Fitzgerald's statement demonstrates that although his novel primarily focused on the robust aspects of wealth in the 1920s, the said wealth created an equal amount of adverse effects. An additional reason as to why the society in the 1920s remain separated can be shown through Myrtle Wilson, and the illusion of wealth she is exposed to. Since, "social status and wealth, which we can establish go hand in hand, also mould characters and their happiness with their situations" (McMahon 5), makes the subjection Myrtle experiences to the "American Dream" to shift her manner of thinking. Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes, which in itself is symbolic for the failure to pursue a life of wealth. The gas station she resides in seems nearly unbearable in her perspective, due to the way she glamorizes the city life and extreme wealth. This delusional Myrtle suffers from causes her to behave in a persona contrasting from the individual she genuinely is, for example, decorating her apartment in the style of a novel she read, Town Tattle. The readers are lead to believe that other individuals begin to act in this manner as well, furthering the defeat of tethering the upper and lower class back together as one community. However, at the end of the novel, consequences are coherently shown through the pattern which Nick narrates. It focuses on the main theme of the novel, it acknowledges how condemned their society was, it addresses the tragedy. Importantly, it apprises the reader of how despite the enormous wealth Jay Gatsby retained, his economic and social status could not save him from his fate. The meaning behind the conclusion to The Great Gatsby is defined as, "The last few pages of The Great Gatsby are a sort of eulogy for Jay Gatsby, preceded by an account of the tragedy" (Liontas 8).

The economy is not the primary reason for disputes, commonly, it can derive from one person to the next. During a profusion of times it is not the government or those running it that are the root of the problem. This theory is highly implied in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, where the individual's apprehension is directed towards Reverend Parris, who is shown to be selfish, and only shows concern when something threatens his position in the community. This is expressed in Act I, as Betty, his daughter, lies in bed from supposed illness, he states, "Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character" (1.63). Due to Reverend Parris' arrogance, and his desire to possess power over those in community, causes the villagers to maintain little to no respect or trust any given authority figure. The mistrust creates a disunion between the individuals, complicating the environment for a community that continues to struggle because of the small population, as well as the pious commandments established within it. The extension of inadequate individuals being named in the church is the reason for others harboring a secure disliking towards one another. These figures, such as Reverend Parris, drive the members of the community away from each other, by the lack of replacing a satisfactory individual in place of Reverend Parris further intensifies the issue. Notwithstanding, the members of the community are not to blame. During this time period, religion was arguably the most essential, principal factor in a society, provoking an askewed mindset in the villagers, leading them to believe that these preachers were chosen by God. The immortality of putting the wrong individual in a position of power in the church "created a theocracy, established on God's providence, in which officials were "divinely guided" by God himself. Since the people of Salem believed that the officials were advised by God, they trusted their judgement. They obeyed the instructions of their leaders without questioning the leaders" (Swainer 1). Therefore, individuals developed a deep certainty for the church, refusing to question any tactics or actions that originally they have deemed sacrilege. John Proctor takes an instant hatred towards Reverend Parris, resulting in Proctor to not attend his sermons. Proctor views Reverend Parris as a hypocritical, avaricious individual, shown through an interaction between Reverend Hale and John Proctor. Once questioned by the lack of attendance to Parris' sermons, Proctor states to Hale, "It may be I have been too quick to bring the man to book, but you cannot think we ever desired the destruction of religion. I think that's in your mind, is it not?" (1.231). The droll remark from John Proctor openly arrays his loathing towards Reverend Parris, yet, Proctor appears to be the primary person to speak poorly of Parris throughout the written piece. Concerning the end of the novel, the verdict is not sufficient, nevertheless, it teaches the audience what consequences will result from the disheveled manner of the society in The Crucible. Mercy Lewis and Abigail Williams disappear from the village after the trials, however, the assorted deaths of innocent people is the momentous concomitant. The lack of ample leadership in the community cost the honorable individuals their lives, bringing those in the community even further apart than they were before the trials because of the barbaric, unnecessary killings. This error has been addressed and applied to reality, "Even though most of the girls did not apologize, in the end, the church, the state legislature, and some important members of the community understood what errors were made and apologized for killing twenty-four innocent people" (Grace T 8).

Discrimination is a conventional motivator for those who wish to isolate themselves from tyrannical leaders, as indicated in Ken Kesey's, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Throughout the novel, the head nurse of the mental institution, Nurse Ratched, frequently mistreats, degrades, and debatably, abuses the patients, whom are all men. The mistreatment Nurse Ratched indulges in includes depriving the patients of their medication, which allows them to function normally, as well as stripping them of their basic human needs. Emasculating the patients with emotional abuse is the most common occurrence she speaks to them as if they are children, forcing them to behave in a youthful manner, and intimates the patients to tell others their most humiliating secrets. These factors construct a barrier between the staff and patients at the mental institution, causing the patients to fear not only Nurse Ratched, but the additional doctors. During an interaction between Nurse Ratched and a junior nurse while discussing the new patient, Randle McMurphy, Ratched states, "Sometimes a manipulator's own ends are simply the actual disruption of the ward for the sake of disruption. There are such people in our society. A manipulator can influence the other patients and disrupt them to such an extent that it may take months to get everything running smooth once more" (28). This statement can be viewed as a reflection on her own actions; the diction within the sentence suggests that Nurse Ratched is aware of the harm she is inflicting onto the patients, and how it creates an unhealthy environment for their community, yet continues to do so. Nurse Ratched is forced to suffer the corollary for her actions at the end of the novel, when Randle McMurphy attempts to strangle Ratched to death after she blames him for the suicide of a former patient. Nurse Ratched survives the attack, but is unable to speak because of her injures, therefore, cannot harm the patients verbally anymore. Although it took an action of violence to erase the detachment the patients were experiencing from Nurse Ratched, the result of Randle McMurphy's actions were favorable, and resolved the indifference each victim was undergoing.

Often societies experience separation because of the laws that have been established, as observed in Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury. This segregation is more authoritarian than previous reasons, considering that there are two types of people in this novel; those who believe it is wrong to burn books, and those who do not. These individuals interact traditionally, if no laws are being disobeyed. Guy Montag, the protagonist who is a fireman that burns novels, encounters a young woman named Clarisse McClellan, who continually pesters him with questions that cause Montag to analyze his life, the choices he makes, and eventually, come to the realization of how harrowing their society is. The paramount reason the individuals in their community feel phlegmatic of one another is due to the excess amount of technology being utilized, and the lack of knowledge, the lack of critical thinking, the lack of books being deployed. This recognition causes Guy Montag to seek out others whom are interested in advancing their intelligence, and redirecting books back into their society. Guy Montag begins to see the brutality and savagery behind being a fireman once he witnesses a woman burn herself along with all of a books she had owned, instead of allowing the firemen to confiscate them. The woman follows through with this decision because she realizes she is residing in a society of oppression, and would rather not live, so that she may be able to have the opportunity to exist into a world of freedom. This belief is addressed when stated, "There must be something in books, something we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing" (48). At the end of the novel, the city Montag had lived in is bombed, and he is forced to flee. Montag meets a group of survivors who believe in the righteousness of novels, who study philosophy and literature in order to preserve what is left of it, in exceptional hope of restoring them in the future. Guy Montag was given the opportunity to revolt against the regulations of society, resulting in the community to moribund entirely.

From studying these four novels, the notion that societies in literature often struggle with reliance and individualism is consilient. Throughout the sources cited, additionally from the novels themselves, the pattern of separation between individuals caused by authority figures, moral values, and economic status are customary. The authors mentioned involved diligent effort in order to relay their allegorical messages towards the audience concerning the topic of how those who occupy contrastive beliefs often spawn a series of events that demolish their society. The acknowledgement of chaos arranged in these societies are meant to be addressed, and at a point in time, can deftly be resolved.

Works Cited

• 2012 1-2 Period Class of Mr. Sam Nekrosius. The Salem Journal: The Aftermath. Web. 20 June 2017.
• "Crucible Essay: Seperation of Church and State - Swanierenglish." Google Sites. Web. 20 June 2017
• "The Crucible by Arthur Miller." English Works. Web. 20 June 2017.
• "The Pre-Depression Depression." The Pre-Depression Depression - Index. Web. 20 June 2017. "So We Beat On: The Last Lines of The Great Gatsby." Scribner Magazine. 18 July 2016. Web. 20 June 2017.
• Sumantha_M. "Social Status in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald." Freelance Writer. 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 June 2017.

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