The Great Gatsby: Old Money Vs. New

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September 20th, 2013
East Vs. West
Money, just like anything else, can be new and old. Some people in our country have been wealthy for centuries, and the wealth of their bloodline can go extremely far back in time. However, the attitude of people who have what is considered “Old Money” in contrast to the people who have “New Money” can be quite different. This is shown in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In TGG Tom and Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker all reside in East Egg, New York and are considered “Old Money” while Jay Gatsby who lives in West Egg, New York is considered “New Money”. The people who are depicted as “new money” are materialistic and egotistical; while people who are labeled “old money” are …show more content…
The main thing that stands out about this is that the dresses are just white. They aren't too crazy or extravagant. They are very simple and elegant. And they seem to be blowing in the wind just perfectly while they ripple in front of Nick's eyes. In addition, white is symbolic for purity, which further explains how the author wants the reader to perceive Jordan and Daisy (along with the other people in East Egg). This seems to further the idea that the people coming from “old money” are much more elegant and tasteful in contrast to the people who are considered “new money”.
The difference of lifestyle and mindset between the people labeled “new money” and the people labeled “old money” is quite different in Fitzgeralds depiction. The lavish, vulgar, and untasteful ways of the people labeled “new money” is contradictory to the lifestyle of those who live in East Egg and are “old money”. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, people who are labeled “new money” are selfish, materialistic, and egotistical; while people who are labeled “old money” are elegant and down to earth. The dividing line between the people of West Egg and East Egg is quite serious. The Novel is concluded with Gatsby’s death, who was trying to become apart of the “old money” crowd. But in the end, he fails at getting Daisy and he ends up dead as a result of trying to bootleg his way

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