Greediness In The Great Gatsby

Thesis: Fitzgerald conveys the two groups of old and new money through greediness and their lives growing up. Throughout the book, greediness is conveyed through both Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. Jay Gatsby is presented at first as a poor farmer who was fascinated with Daisy. Jay Gatsby is shown as new money with the occurring wealth of his drug stores and a bootlegging business. Jay Gatsby’s constant want of being rich never paid off since his relationship with Daisy fails, “I can’t speak about what happened five years ago because I didn’t know Daisy then — and I’ll be damned if I see how you got within a mile of her unless you brought the groceries to the back door. But all the rest of that’s a God damned lie. Daisy loved me when she married me and she loves me

This demonstrates how Jay Gatsby never married Daisy but instead married Tom Buchanan, who is old money. Jay Gatsby had to create his wealth, which Daisy never waited for since he did not have that wealth at first. Ultimately showing how Jay Gatsby’s greediness leads to wanting Daisy all to himself. Furthermore, Tom Buchanan's wealth is seen through as old money, he has inherited all his money instead of working for it. Daisy takes a liking to Tom Buchanan for his wealth while Tom Buchanan is shown to cheat on her with Myrtle, “And what’s more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.” (101). This displays how Tom Buchanan's greediness is shown through cheating on Daisy while stating how he “loves” her when he does not; he only stays with Daisy for the status of his wealth.