Karl Marx wrote in his work “Towards a Critique of Political Economy” of 1859 that “it is not the consciousness of men which determines their existence but their social existence which determines their consciousness". By stating this, Marx sheds light on the functioning of "The Great Gatsby", thus showing that the social circumstances in which the characters find themselves define them, and that these circumstances constitute the fundamental Marxist principles of a capitalist society These principles, namely "commodity fetishism" and "reification", are useful aids to interpreting and understanding the central themes that recur throughout the text Marx did not consider. classes as a regular generalization of upper, middle and lower as we see so often in the Western world today. Conversely, Marxist theory states that “the way we think… is largely conditioned by the way in which the. economy is organized” and that the economy is the “basis of society”. These beliefs are evident within Great Gatsby when considering the role of the Wilsons in relation to that of the Buchanans and even Gatsby. The Wilsons, being the “base of society,” work laboriously to produce goods; “mode of production”, in order to meet the needs of the bourgeoisie. This obvious class struggle is highlighted by Marxist teachings on capitalism. Fitzgerald anticipated the collapse of capitalism and even of the West itself; the Great Depression, after reading the theories of scholars such as Marx and Nietzsche. Fitzgerald compares the demise of capitalism, represented by the bourgeoisie of the novel, by declaring in his "Early Successes" that "my millionaires were like the doomed peasants of Thomas Hardy", thus showing a rigorous parallel between the class struggles of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...... middle of paper ...... are also involved in events. His understanding of events such as Myrtle's death comes simply from an unknown bystander, Michaelis. He himself can be considered unreliable since he states "What he actually said was..." after having already quoted the butler who allegedly said the opposite. This feeling of unreliability highlights the Marxist critical approach. Nick, in writing a story, feels free, but as Marx points out, he only thinks he is. His move to the East and his habitual attitude of following the American dream highlight the desperate nature of the times. The decline of the Jazz Age is evident in Nick's firm insistence that it has simply been transformed into a mode of production. It has been reified. Nick's job is to think himself free, while producing a narrative interpolating the events. This point of view is only put forward through a critical Marxist approach.