Gossip Girl – Text Review Assignment

The series Gossip Girl, which was a fan favorite on Netflix for many years features a large variety of injustices due to the very different socioeconomic status of the characters in season one. The show features characters who have grown up and lived in Brooklyn, New York their entire lives and also feature those who were more prestigious and grew up on the Upper Eastside of New York. This is where the large divide between classes begins. Dan and Jennie were siblings who grew up with their father in a small apartment in Brooklyn. Blair, Serena, Nate, and Chuck were all wealthy kids who grew up in large penthouses and had everything they could need at their disposal 24/7. They all attended the same private school except Dan and Jennie were on scholarship, because of this they struggled deeply to fit in and those who were wealthier did not make it any easier. They would have little groups that excluded those who were less fortunate and made them feel as though they were less because they did not have the same opportunities or money. Another example where socioeconomic status played a large role in an injustice was when Jennie the young girl from Brooklyn tried so hard to fit in and be a part of the popular group. The leader of the group Blair made her do mean things and did terrible things to her only because she was of a lower status than her and her friends. All of the cruel things that the wealthier and upper-class students did to those less fortunate were only done because they felt as though they were better than them because of the money that they had. These examples are very similar to the way the “one” and the “other” are used because those such as Jennie and Dan are comparable to the “other”. Blair, Serena, Nate, and Chuck would be considered the “ones” because people see them as being higher up and better than those who are less fortunate than them. The characters who are seen as the “other” face many more injustices and are treated very differently than those who would be seen as the “ones”. All of these examples and comparisons show how injustices truly affect people and should be considered more when talking about socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status is a large part of people’s daily lives, but sometimes it is taken too seriously and is used to treat people the wrong way.

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