The critical discourse analysis (CDA) in this paper of the Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 2013 film version directed by Baz Luhrmann discusses the way in which power and class and the social hierarchy are constructed or reinforced or criticized using language and visual semiotics. Based on the theoretical assumptions of CDA by Norman Fairclough and the theories of symbolic capital by Pierre Bourdieu, the analysis contrasts the textual discourse and the movie presentation, covering the image of affluence, elite status, gender roles and marginalisation. The dialectical and ironical nature of the language used in the novel shows the emptiness of the American Dream, and the movie exaggerates the visuals, music, and editing of richness. The paper presents the role of linguistic and multimodal decisions in the two media in upholding or challenging hegemonic ideologies through comparative analysis. Among the most significant insights is that Fitzgerald challenges the power structures of the elite with narrative irony and unreliable narration whereas the adaptation by Luhrmann recreates the sex- appeal of excess that hides the criticism of the novel. This research eventually brings into focus the strength of discourse, both spoken and written, in creating cultural discourse of class, morality and aspiration.