Money and Greed in the Great Gatsby
In the novel, Jay Gatsby possesses a feeling of immortality and power because of the money he has attained. He acts as if the world revolves around him and he would have no repercussions if he committed a crime. “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was the son of god”(98). As we learn about Jay Gatsby’s business deals with men like Myer Wolfsheim, his actions throughout the book start to make sense and we can better picture how he views himself. Gatsby not only made money with people like Woldsheim, but also gained a false sense of security because of these relationships. “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties,
…show more content…
West Egg and East Egg are both extremely wealthy towns, but East Egg is old money and West Egg is new money. One character who makes this difference an extensive issue is Tom Buchanon. Tom was born to a rich family, so the thought of making money by himself scares him. He views Jay Gatsby and others like him as inferior and less classy than people of his stature. “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that’s the idea you can count me out….Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.”(130). This quote is important to understanding how offensive Tom is, but also how racist he is. He implies that intermarriage between races is not right, and also supports the claim that he views certain people as inferior. Anyone who isn't a part of his inner wealthy circle is of a lower class. The divide between the two Eggs is apparent, and the attitude of both sides towards the other is based on where they reside. They both clutch unworldly amounts of wealth, but in the end the status of their families determines their social rank. “I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre