In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald Shows the Clear Delineations Between Different Strata of Society: New Money, Old Money, Some Money, and No Money. Explain Why Fitzgerald Presents This Spectrum of Circumstances and
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates a divide amongst the characters by separating them into different layers of society in terms of wealth. New Money is the category in which characters have previously been poor but have gradually earned vast amounts of money; old money is the situation of some characters that have always been rich through generations. Some money and no money are clear; certain characters simply have either some money or no money.
Jay Gatsby falls under the category of New Money. Gatsby was born into a poor family and joined the army for the First World War. When Gatsby returned back to America, it had become a country transformed by prohibition; this was a period in American History when Gangsters were able to make vast amounts of money. Gatsby saw this as opportunity to make his fortune and became a bootlegger; this was someone who smuggled liquor, this was through Gatsby’s association with Meyer Wolfsheim who is notoriously “The man who fixed the World Series back in 1919.” One may say that Gatsby is a cheat as he earned his money illegally but he appears to be the only character whose wealth and popularity has made him such a success. At the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald presents Gatsby to be somewhat of an enigma. We don’t hear Gatsby speak until the third chapter but before we meet him we hear of him on numerous occasions. We figure out he is someone known for extravagant parties as in the opening chapter Jordan Baker tells us she has been over to West Egg to attend Gatsby’s parties as well as the moment in chapter two when Myrtle Wilson’s sister, Catherine states how she has previously attended a party of Gatsby’s. Also before we meet Gatsby we hear lots of gossip about him which mainly question his wealth, for example Catherine states ‘”Well, they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s. That’s where all his money comes from.”’ This is the first of many German connections, we see more at his party when guests state that
Jay Gatsby falls under the category of New Money. Gatsby was born into a poor family and joined the army for the First World War. When Gatsby returned back to America, it had become a country transformed by prohibition; this was a period in American History when Gangsters were able to make vast amounts of money. Gatsby saw this as opportunity to make his fortune and became a bootlegger; this was someone who smuggled liquor, this was through Gatsby’s association with Meyer Wolfsheim who is notoriously “The man who fixed the World Series back in 1919.” One may say that Gatsby is a cheat as he earned his money illegally but he appears to be the only character whose wealth and popularity has made him such a success. At the beginning of the novel, Fitzgerald presents Gatsby to be somewhat of an enigma. We don’t hear Gatsby speak until the third chapter but before we meet him we hear of him on numerous occasions. We figure out he is someone known for extravagant parties as in the opening chapter Jordan Baker tells us she has been over to West Egg to attend Gatsby’s parties as well as the moment in chapter two when Myrtle Wilson’s sister, Catherine states how she has previously attended a party of Gatsby’s. Also before we meet Gatsby we hear lots of gossip about him which mainly question his wealth, for example Catherine states ‘”Well, they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s. That’s where all his money comes from.”’ This is the first of many German connections, we see more at his party when guests state that