Old Money In The Great Gatsby

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. Also, Gatsby’s car is an example of how owners of “new” money spend their fortune; on fancy “gorgeous car(s).”

If this definition was used as a guideline, The Great Gatsby is considered a tragedy. While the most obvious indication of the novel’s tragic genre is the death of Jay Gatsby himself, this is not the only defining quality. The tragic hero is Gatsby, but his tragic flaw could be perceived in multiple ways. Firstly, he fell in love with a girl who “only married (her husband) because (Gatsby) was poor and she was tired of waiting for (him).” (Fitzgerald 130). Another one of the great character’s flaws was his quest for money. This one may be more indirect, but from the beginning, not having money was the reason “his imagination had never really accepted (his parents) as his parents at all,” and led him to owning drug stores and selling alcohol (Fitzgerald 133). Lastly was his inability to let Daisy Buchanan go, which eventually led to his death. By making it clear that he was still in love with this girl, Gatsby put himself at risk for any kind of attack. In the end, Tom Buchanan admits to “tell(ing) him,” because “that fellow had it coming to him” (Fitzgerald 178). Overall, it was not just one fatal flaw that led to the demise of Jay Gatsby, but the collection of flaws that followed him through his whole