Representation of the Higher-Level Social Class in Roman Holiday, and The Great Gatsby

Posted: March 27th, 2020

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Representation of the Higher-Level Social Class in Roman Holiday, and The Great Gatsby

The visual illustrations exhibited by different forms of digital and traditional media usually focus on the provision of meaning to a certain aspect or facet present within the context in question. Over the years, various types of media such as paintings and films were applied in order to represent a range of dimensions or elements within the society. The interesting aspect regarding visual representation is based on the similarities or differences that are evoked once the images are perceived from an analytical point of view. This is especially evidenced by the illustrations evident in films that were developed in different periods, specifically Roman Holiday, and The Great Gatsby. The films aforementioned possess a significant time difference aside from engaging in the narration of disparate plots. More specifically, the former, Roman Holiday, was released in 1953 whereas the latter, The Great Gatsby was released recently in 2013. While the films belong to different eras, they nonetheless depict the recurrent nature of class divisions, particularly the presence of the higher-level social class, which has dominated the American society for numerous years.

Foremost, the evidence of social stratification is illustrated by the representation of the members of the high class in Roman Holiday and The Great Gatsby. One particular aspect involves the level of wealth as a significant indicator of the difference between members of the society. In Roman Holiday, the facet of wealth as an indicator of the higher-level social class’ presence is illustrated by the aristocratic representation of the lead female character, Ann (Aubrey Hepburn). Accordingly, the respective protagonist is a princess engaging in a goodwill excursion of major cities within the European region. As a royal heir, she exhibits the qualities founded on the aspect of aristocracy by acting within the confines of sophistication and nobility. The difference in social class is further evidenced by the representation of her lover, Joe (Gregory Peck). In contrast to Ann’s image, Joe’s outward appearance is that of a lower class individual based on his overly American slang, his hardened external appearance, as well as his predisposition towards earning a few extra dollars in order to go against Ann’s wishes to remain private within the public eye.

The film, The Great Gatsby, also relies on the measure of wealth as an indicator of the higher-level social class and their separation from the rest of the American society. Even though the protagonist originally hails from an unsophisticated upbringing, he manages to achieve the American Dream by generating a significant amount of wealth from his risky business schemes. For Gatsby (Leonardo Dicaprio), the recent attainment of a considerable amount of money allows him to socialize with other members of the higher-level social class; an activity that he could not participate in prior to his attainment of wealth. The unification of wealth also acts as a bond between the members of the respective group. In fact, the social elite engage in ostentatious parties and get-togethers without paying any consideration towards the expenses incurred. This is especially illustrated by the nonchalant attitudes exhibited by members of the Buchanan family as well as Jordan Baker during such events. The same type of attitude is also exhibited by Gatsby. Feeling the pressure to gain acceptance, Gatsby focuses considerably on the use of a considerable amount of money in order to host recurring parties and events that can only befit the social elite.

However, in contrast to Roman Holiday, The Great Gatsby exhibits the changes that have been imposed regarding the notion of social stratification over the years. While the former represents a simple difference between classes as shown by Ann and Joe, the latter film represents a convoluted representation of class association by focusing considerably on stratification within the higher-level social class. Over the years, classes have always been categorized on basis of aspects such as wealth, status, and power relations. However, The Great Gatsby veers from these conventional notions by representing classism within a single category. In the respective film, Gatsby, despite being significantly wealthy, is consistently rejected by other social elites. Irrespective of his attempts to become integrated into the respective group, he is despised and rejected because of the nature of his wealth. The characters of Tom, Daisy, and Jordan are represented as the most elitist faction hence possessing the authority to impose distinctions on Gatsby’s wealth. Rather than class him based on the amount of wealth, they make their conclusions in respect to aspects such as taste, refinement, and sensibility, which he does not possess since he comes from a poor background.

To this end, the films, Roman Holiday and The Great Gatsby constitute illustrations of media that reflect the status of social stratification across the American society. Despite the different contexts evident in the respective film, it is impossible to reject the notions represented in the film regarding the presence of social class in the respective developed community. However, the point of interest regarding the movies in question is based on the consistency of the stratification typecast despite the difference in terms of time. Simply, both films manage to use the aspect of social class as a basis of interaction between the lead characters. In particular, aspects such as the measure of wealth are applied as indicators of the higher-level social class and the intricacies evident within the respective group.