How Does Old Money Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby may seem like a simple love story, but upon a deeper literary analysis, it is much more. Soldiers from World War I came home to a country that was infatuated with materialistic items. With the creation of the stock market, these soldiers wanted to pursue the American Dream, not only did this create the problem of “old money” vs “new money” it was also a factor that ultimately led to Gatsby’s death. Within the many themes of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby goes on to highlight the inadequacies of the American Dream in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is a novel that, superficially, seems like the tragic story of infatuation and misunderstanding. However, set in 1920s America, it can be read in a number of different ways. This post-war period was a time of economic boom and rapid change in technological advances led to fashionable, more affluent and carefree lives. Alcohol was banned as a direct response to hedonism of the time but ironically it encouraged corruption and a black market. The speed of change and modernity was both exciting and overwhelming. Thus we see that this was a time of glamour

Gatsby believed wholeheartedly that his happiness lay in the chance of reuniting with Daisy, but she was unfortunately unable to live up to his obsessive and arguably overwhelming dream. In fact, Gatsby himself becomes so engrossed in his “American Dream”, that when Daisy’s rejection comes, his life seems to lose all its purpose in the absence of his obsession. Perhaps even his former warm view of the world was lost as he lay in the pool, waiting for Daisy’s phone call, and “looked up at an unfamiliar sky.” This shows us how obsession can take over one’s life, wielding a complete unhealthy control over our emotions and actions. On the critical side, it is also showing us that the American Dream, which was once a genuine, pure aspiration for advancement, has, for many people, turned into a greedy desire and obsession for wealth and material goods. As well as the unrealistic notion of equal opportunity for all, Fitzgerald is suggesting that what was once “a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable”- as coined by U.S writer James Truslow Adams- has evolved into a dense objective of achieving personal material comfort. Although Gatsby claims that he did everything for Daisy, there is the underlying question; was his bootlegging really all for Daisy’s love, or was it for his own ideal life that he dreamed of- a life of luxury, aesthetic appeal and a beautiful woman? Fitzgerald is criticising the corruption of what was idealised to be a world of freedom, equality and opportunity. Instead of striving for an improved, richer and fuller life for the country as a whole, society has turned into a battle between individuals to get to the top and appear the most

Regardless of the fact that Gatsby does not care for large social gatherings, he continuously throws extravagant parties in hopes of Daisy being enticed by the glamour and therefore one day attending. Although his attempts go unnoticed he continues the pursuit to buy her love. This could be because he truly believes that he can buy her love or maybe he is trying to prove to Daisy that he is now (after their five years of separation) worthy of her love.

Regarding Gatsby, it is his lack of emotional satisfaction that shapes his obsession and greed toward Daisy. Gatsby’s goal is to regain his former romantic relationship he shares with Daisy, as he truly believes that it is possible to repeat the past (Fitzgerald 110). In fact, during the last five years, he builds himself a facade through illegal means to impress Daisy. Nevertheless, his greed for the exclusivity of Daisy backfires. Daisy says that “ ‘[he] [wants] too much!’... ‘[she] [loves] [him] now--- isn’t that enough?’ ” (132). When Gatsby asks Daisy to affirm that she only loves him, she could not confirm the statement truthfully, thus reducing Gatsby’s efforts throughout the years to naught. Gatsby’s commitment for Daisy’s affection is the very cause of Daisy’s rejection.

By throwing lavish parties almost daily, Gatsby attracts the attention of all who live in the area. West and East Eggers alike flock to Gatsby’s mansion in hopes to drive around in the “Rolls-Royce” and “motor-boats”, drink the “champagne”, and be pampered by the “eight servants” that roam the grounds. Each of these commodities cost large sums of money to obtain; in effect they imply that Gatsby has an enormous amount of money and is extremely wealthy. By being in possession of these items, Gatsby is able to become a popular figure within the upper class of society, thus attaining the goal of being well known and admired. Similarly, the use of simile to describe those who congregate nightly at the Gatsby manor shows that Gatsby has accomplished his goal of establishing authority over his fellow New Yorkers. By comparing the people who swarm his home for his parties to “moths among the whisperings of the champagne and the stars”, Fitzgerald conveys the concept that Gatsby’s party guests are mindless

The desire for social pleasure was rampant in the roaring twenties and in The Great Gatsby. On the surface, Gatsby’s dream appears very materialistic. We’ve just talked about his fancy parties and his flash car. But if Gatsby’s dream was truly material, would he chase after Daisy? If his aim was purely material, he wouldn’t have been such a desperate romantic figure. We’re selling him a bit short here by accusing him of just wanting money. He is unsatisfied with his wealth, and pursues something greater – ‘true love’. Gatsby’s idea of ‘success’ was Daisy. Granted, you and I will agree that Gatsby could have done so much better. In fact, what does Daisy represent? Daisy has a symbolic name, and the way she gleams “in the sunlight” (pg 160) is merely a white façade covering her superficiality. The truth is, she and Tom are “careless people”, they “smash up things…and retreat into their money and carelessness…let other people clean up the mess they’d made” (pg 191). You may think Gatsby’s corrupt. However, clearly Daisy and Tom are the corrupt ones; they think they can do anything and everything, with the social influence and wealth they gained at birth. Daisy exploited Gatsby, his naive desire of “the golden girl” (pg 128), the ‘girl of his dreams’ – or so he believed. Fitzgerald also wanted a girl out of his league; Ginevra (Erbentraut, 2013). Very much like Daisy, Ginevra couldn’t be with Fitzgerald because of she was rich and cool and he

One of the major topics explored in The Great Gatsby is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the newly minted millionaires of the 1920s differ from and relate to the old aristocracy of the country’s richest families. In the novel, West Egg and its denizens represent the newly rich, while East Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy. Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, gaudy, ostentatious, and lacking in social graces and taste. Gatsby, for example, lives in a monstrously ornate mansion, wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls-Royce,

Gatsby’s aspirations reflect the time period. The “Roaring Twenties”, as it is called, was a period of prosperity, and the Americans were obsessed with acquiring wealth, and thought that “those who have wealth should be splendid, happy people”

Fitzgerald communicates profusely the detrimental effects of love through Gatsby as the dependence of his happiness upon Daisy causes him to no longer have a will of his own. Gatsby bases his choice of residency off its proximity to Daisy not his own desires. He bought his mansion purely “so that Daisy would be just across the bay.” He hosts parties not for his own enjoy but in hopes of reconnecting with Daisy as well, as Jordan explains, “he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night.” Hence, his parties are “spilled with prodigality” for the sake of attracting the attention of Daisy because truly Gatsby’s wealth does not matter to him. He only strives for such wealth in the first place in order to “earn” Daisy’s love. It is evident that Gatsby believes this when he exclaims, “She only married you because I was poor.” Fitzgerald thus insinuates that for the past five years Gatsby has been acting not of his own accord, instead he acts with purpose of pleasing Daisy. He wants to please her, in hopes of rekindling their romantic relationship because Gatsby loves Daisy and believes that her love is the only thing that will allow him to achieve happiness. Fitzgerald expresses this idea when

The first important situation that Fitzgerald focuses on is the class war in American society. In “The Great Gatsby,” he portrays the demarcation of “Old Money” and “New Money” through Daisy’s perspective on “New Money” lifestyle. In the novel, Fitzgerald portrays the protagonist as “New Money” and antagonist as “Old Money.” When James Gatsby, protagonist, invites his lover Daisy, antagonist, to his party in the West Egg, he expected her to be impress. However, the reality failed to fulfill the expectation for Daisy who comes from East Egg. Fitzgerald states, “But the rest offended her-and inarguably, because it wasn't a gesture but an emotion. She was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented 'place' that Broadway had begotten upon a Long Island

During the 1920s, America suffered the great stock market crash, which led to the nation’s despair. Fitzgerald mirrors this event through Gatsby’s great loss.

Gatsby’s pursuit leads him from poverty to wealth, into love, and eventually to death. However the novel doesn’t celebrate the vibrant capitalist culture of the 1920s in America but instead shows the

Another theme in The Great Gatsby is one that is very evident throughout the novel. It is the conflict between the new wealthy class of self-made men and the "old rich." This is most noticeable in the physical separation between them. The new rich live in West Egg and the old rich live in East Egg. The new rich people are not yet acclimated to being upstanding citizens so they are not well connected in the social world, not to mention their incredibly ostentatious nature. In Gatsby's situation, he lives in a huge, repulsively tacky gothic mansion and he throws wild, lavish parties that could be better classified as raves. Daisy and Tom, who represent the old rich, are very refined, tasteful, and very well-mannered. However, the old rich also have come to rely on their money as a defense against trouble (either that they have caused or become victim of). This is exhibited very well when Daisy and Tom simply move away instead of going to Gatsby's funeral. Gatsby, on the other hand, is extremely loyal to his friends

The 1920’s were roaring. Throughout this time period, wealth in the United States doubled, leaving room for growth in an economic forum. This caused many Americans to move into the uncharted territory of the city, and make the transition into a prosperous and foreign “consumer society” (History.com). In addition, the traits of greed and materialism are ubiquitous in The Great Gatsby, as well as in the flashy 1920’s. These two characteristics give one confidence, but as demonstrated in the novel, it brings nothing but short-term satisfaction. After that, feelings of desperation to childish behaviors can accompany it. These two features have the power to seem favorable, as they serve as a temporary distraction, bringing an