The 1920s was a time of flamboyance and wealth in the upper class. Jay Gatsby, a man of old money, threw over the top parties, in which he would spend his money very nonchalantly. The ambiance of his parties greatly illustrated the upper class of the time. The author uses symbolism and characterization to support the central idea that the upper class was very careless, wealthy, and extravagant. Gatsby’s parties are luxurious, glamorous, and over the top.
It has long been said that money can’t buy happiness, but still people continue to use it’s acquisition to try to make themselves happy. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the title character struggles with this realization. The book is set in New York during the ‘Roaring 20’s’, a time famous for its parties and lavishness. The book examines the attitudes toward money within the upper particularly through the lense of the new-money title character, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby dedicated his life to the acquisition of money with the goal of eventually acquiring the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan.
Bang! Bang! Those could be the last sounds you could ever hear if you have been too obsessed with money . All of the people in the Great Gatsby love money and it turns out that the money betrays them. In F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby it proves that no matter how much you have money can't buy true happiness.
Money is divided into two types: Old money and New money. Characters like Gatsby have new money, because they have made their fortunes themselves. Daisy and Tom inherited some money which they own today. This money is called old money.
Many people believe that money is the key to happiness and they seek it persistently in order to run away from poverty. Poverty alone is challenging but it becomes a bigger challenge when you become a victim of the corruption of money. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the readers explore a story of ambition, tragedy, and betrayal;All because of money and reputation. In his novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes symbolism to reveal the drastic differences between the wealthy and the poor.
Money lets people buy stuff and make them feel good about having things. Old money is money that people inherit from their parents/ ancestors, Tom is from an old money family. New money is money that you earn for yourself and you don’t get any money from your family. Gatsby gets his money from the selling of illegal alcohol and his ties to the mob. Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, but the thing is that she is married to Tom Buchanan.
The “Great” Gatsby During the 1920s the world was fighting for money and growth in social status. This novel which takes place four years after the war is a result of the crisis that occurred from the war. Two sides of the world during the 1920s are presented throughout the novel; one being East Egg which represents old money and West Egg which is the representation of new money. West Egg is set around Gatsby because he is growing into a new person and has new money, money that was made after the war. By Gatsby’s house being in West Egg it shows he has money but is lacking real sophistication.
In The Great Gatsby the characters in the novel come from various social classes. Nick, Daisy, and Tom are from Wealthy families who have been wealthy for a long time. These characters are referred to as “Old rich” because of their families’ long histories of wealth. Jay Gatsby, unlike Daisy and Tom, did not belong to a wealthy family, and he earns his wealth through his own hard work and success. Although Tom and Gatsby are both wealthy, Tom and the other “Old rich” people look down at Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby is a story told by Nick Carraway. The story took place after World War I, which make the background, setting, and costume seems unfamiliar to me. In the play, the theme “Old Money vs. New Money” is shown by how the “Old Money” such as Tom and Daisy tend to hide their wealth and already have social connection, while the “New Money”, Jay Gatsby tends to display his wealth by throwing a party at his house every week to built connection. Although Jay Gatsby live a glamorous life as a “new money,” after the party went off, he still feels lonely and unhappy. This theme can be shown by the costume design and lighting of the play.
Old money, meaning inherited wealth, and new money being earned. The characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan both represent where their money came from, Gatsby as new money is a selfish, and arrogant man, and Tom as old
As seen throughout the novel, a trend of “old” versus “new” money is seen. Wether it be the conflicting values of East Egg and West Egg or the battle of specific families and their wealth status, this issue of wealth represents how money was viewed in general in the 1920’s. Firstly, there is a clear divide between the West Egg and East Egg, concerning their possessions. On page 6, Nick Carraway mentions that the West Egg is the “less fashionable of the two.” This is a casual reference to the fact that the older, wealthy generations are more “fashionable” and there is a clear divide between the old money side and the new money side.
If you were wealthy, it didn’t matter how you came about this wealth. ( come back and add more) Old money is having money inherited through generations, like family wealth. You were rich mainly because of your family having money. In the novel, Tom and Daisy Buchanan would be an example of this. New money is someone whose wealth was made by themselves, not inherited.
The greed of Old money is displayed again when Daisy leaves Gatsby. Daisy values wealth over love and “…vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby – nothing.”(156). Materialistic Old money values grow “…like fertilized weeds and [cover] arable land like crabgrass…”(Johnson 2). The flaws of Old money are witnessed only by God or at least Fitzgerald’s representation of God – Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s billboard advertisement. Eckleburg’s eyes “are blue and gigantic – their retinas are one yard high” (27).
The relationship between old money and new money permeates throughout The Great Gatsby; it is most notably shown through the comparison of East Egg and West Egg, in which East Egg represents old money and West Egg represents new money. Money cannot buy the love of another, which is unveiled when Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby. Both of these ideas reveal the author’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald, ideas on how money is not everything. F. Scott Fitzgerald contrasts East Egg and West Egg for the purpose of revealing the difference between old and new money to show the true value of money. The difference between new and old money is revealed when Nick, the narrator, first discusses the two eggs and the difference between them.
The “New Money” era was one in which the main character of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby, fell head first into. Although the backstory of Gatsby’s come to money story has many versions that appear throughout the novel, it is clear that with the help of the “Roaring ‘20s,” he was able to obtain a substantial amount of wealth. The wealth he obtained however, produced a sense of godlike attributes while throwing lavish parties as his, “Rolls−Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight.” Gatsby’s parties were legendary among the elitist members of the New York City
