Last weekend, I saw the movie Bridesmaids. It was honestly one of funniest movies I’ve ever seen. But besides that, I actually found a connection to what we were talking about in class, when discussing Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
One common theme Fitzgerald portrays is class, and he uses many indicators to emphasize how much of a role class system plays in the novel. One example of this is his constant reference to the color white, when describing someone in the upper class. White dresses. White golf clothes. White… And those who don’t exactly fit in socially tend to not wear as much “white”, or try hard to wear white to fit in. For example, the first time Nick Carraway is invited to one of Gatsby’s parties, he makes sure he wears “white flannels”. This upper class society mirrors the typical white, country club playing tennis society.
In exactly the same way, the movie Bridesmaids hints at the differences between those in the upper class, and those who aren’t. Not to give the movie away, but to provide a quick summary, the movie is about a woman, Lillian, who is getting married, and her best friend from when they were kids, Annie (Kristen Wiig), and her new rich best friend Helen are helping plan her wedding. However, Annie and Helen don’t get along that well, mostly because Helen has so much money that she is buys everything for Lillian, making Annie feel inferior and worthless as a friend. However, all Lillian wants is for her friends to get along, so she asks Annie to spend a day with Helen. In this scene, Helen takes Annie to her country club to play tennis. Helen and the rest of the club members are wearing all white; whereas, Annie is in a bright yellow outfit, making her stand out. She seems out of place in this “world”.
Both The Great Gatsby and Bridesmaids emphasize social class, and use certain indicators, such as the color white, to portray those who are in/ fit in the upper class, and those who do not.
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