Over the centuries, several social barriers have fallen. By the 1920s, some of these barriers were just beginning to crumble. Women gained the right to vote and some people were able to become rich because of their skills and ideas and not just because of their origin. Even as these obstacles began to fade, completely overcoming social barriers remained a struggle. Jay Gatsby's final dream, in The Great Gatsby, is to overcome class barriers and marry Daisy Buchanan. He is capable of getting rich, but he does not fit into his social class. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the problematic nature of the class structure in America in the 1920s through Jay Gatsby's struggle to climb the social ladder. In the 1920s, the class structure was changing and people had to adopt a new way of life. According to Cynthia Rose, editor of “A New Era…An Economic Revolution of the Deepest Character,” it was a time of optimism for many people who were able to obtain well-paying jobs thanks to the booming economy. (Pink). However, there was a division within the upper class between those with "old money" and those with "new money." The people who owned the “old money” had grown up wealthy. The nouveau riche had to adapt to the upper class. Actors, people involved in the media, and smugglers are all examples of the types of people who belonged to this class. In the novel, the two social classes also have very different ways of spending their time. Many of the nouveau riche have large parties, while those with old money are more frugal, like the Buchanans (Fitzgerald 10). New industries presented unprecedented opportunities for an emerging class. It was a new era for Americans. People were getting rich overnight... middle of paper... as expected. Works Cited “A new era…an economic revolution of the most profound character.” » Primary sources from the American decades. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Flight. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 126-131. United States History in Context. Internet. March 4, 2014. “Automobiles.” American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman et al. Flight. 2: 1910-1919. Detroit: Gale, 2001. United States History in Context. Internet. March 4, 2014. “Brokers and Suckers.” Primary Sources from the American Decades. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Flight. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 131-135. United States History in Context. Internet. March 4, 2014. Fitzgerald, F. Scott and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York: Collier, 1992. Print. Reilly, Hugh. “The Media in the 1920s.” Personal interview. March 5, 2014. “The right to vote. » Civil Rights in America: 1500 to the Present. Ed. Jay A. Sigler. Detroit: Gale, 1998. United States History in Context. Internet. March 5. 2014.