In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows a big divide between old money and new money. The characters in the book live in two different places that reflect this. East Egg is where the wealthy families have lived for generations. These people have inherited their money and social status. West Egg is where people who recently got rich live. They worked for their success, but they are not seen as equal by the old money crowd.
Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent old money. They live in East Egg in a world of tradition and luxury. Their wealth has been passed down through their families, so they do not have to work for it. Because of this, they look down on people like Gatsby, who made his fortune on his own. Tom especially makes it clear that he thinks Gatsby is not on his level. He calls Gatsby “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” and is suspicious of how he got his money. Even though Gatsby is rich, he is not accepted by the old money class because they believe he lacks class and refinement.
Gatsby represents new money. He lives in West Egg in a flashy mansion and throws huge parties. He earned his fortune rather than inheriting it. His wealth may be great, but people from East Egg still do not respect him. Gatsby believes money can help him win back Daisy, but in the end, it does not. The division between old money and new money remains strong.
This split in social class is one of the biggest themes in the book. No matter how much money Gatsby has, he can never truly be part of the world that Tom and Daisy belong to. The book shows that wealth alone is not enough to change someone’s social standing. Those born into old money will always see themselves as better than those who worked for their success.
