The Great Gatsby: The Old and The New

The Great Gatsby deals with the theme of prosperity and money, and the old and new. These ideas are explored through the characters, in particular; Gatsby, Nick, Tom, Daisy and Jordan.

Gatsby represents new money as he did not inherit it the way that the others did, although he did inherit some of his money. In this way, Gatsby was part of a new generation of ‘New Americans’ also called the ‘nouveau riche’ meaning new money. This term was mostly used in derogatory terms by those who came from ‘old money’. Gatsby’s big house, extravagant parties and having the latest fashions; ‘“I’ve got a man in England [...] he sends over a selection of things... each season, spring and fall”’, all seem to point towards being new to money as everything he does is larger than life. Although it can be argued that he does all these things in order to impress Daisy. Compared to Tom and Myrtle’s party, Gatsby’s party is well organised and planned and shows an eagerness to make a good impression, whereas Tom and Myrtle’s is thrown together last minute. The intimacy of Tom and Myrtle’s party shows that the rich do not need to show off their wealth (although it could be argued that the reason for the intimate party was because of Tom and Myrtle’s affair), unlike Gatsby who throws grand parties with ‘his Rolls Royce became an omnibus’, ‘five crates of oranges and lemons’ and ‘the orchestra’ (the opening paragraph of chapter 3 shows the splendour and decadence).

The idea of the New American, represented by Gatsby, means that anyone can make it big, linking back to the American Dream and individual success, whereby one becomes successful by their own means. However, this idea is not accurately portrayed in The Great Gatsby because Gatsby did not become rich by simply working hard; he inherited a large sum from Dan Cody, who took him in under his wing. This idea of being helped by a rich authority figure is similar to that of Ragged Dick, where Dick was only able to get ahead in respectability because Mr. Whitney gave him $5. This further supports the idea of ‘pluck and luck’ put forward in week 9s workshop, showing that it is not possible to get move ahead unless one is helped by a patron. Yet, the New American can be seen in contemporary society through the likes of Donald Trump and Chris Gardner who came from nothing and today are both successful and rich, showing that to some extent the idea of the American Dream and individual success is still possible. On the other hand, the death of Gatsby represents the death of the New American and that heritage and class are still relevant no matter what riches are acquired. However, the idea of the American Dream being dead, is particularly interesting because it was during this time that Old America was in decline; and this is most notable in texts such as A Streetcar Named Desire, which portrays the destruction of Blanche who represents Old America, whilst Stanley, who represents the New America establishes himself.

The New American is also portrayed through Jordan. As a woman, she is very independent especially compared to Daisy. She drives (badly), goes to parties, plays typically masculine sports (such as golf) and is unmarried, showing a changing of the times. These things also show how Jordan is going against the traditional values during this period where it was expected for women to be married and play tennis; although this was also the time where the New Woman was beginning to emerge; as seen through the nineteenth amendment and votes for women, as well as advertising, like cigarettes. Jordan is an accurate portrayal of a woman in the 21^st century.

Contrastingly, Nick, Tom and Daisy represent the idea of old money, as they inherited their money from ancestors. Their old money represents stability as it has supported their families for generations, showing that old money was the building blocks of America.

Tom’s affair with Myrtle shows the power of traditional Old America. Tom’s audacity to visit Myrtle at her home where her husband was shows a disregard for lower classes and is rude. This exemplifies that the Old America has dominance over the lower classes and is further shown by Tom promising to sell his car to George but then almost changing his mind when George makes a remark about the car taking a long time; showing that the lower classes depend on those above them to give them a better life, similar to Johnny Nolan in Ragged Dick who is given a meal by Dick. As well as this, Toms paying for the apartment for Myrtle, the dog and other things supports the idea of stability as he has enough money to fund this lifestyle not only for Myrtle, but for himself, Daisy and their daughter.

On the whole, the novel displays the theme of the old and the new, and that despite all of this one’s birthright depicts their position in society no matter what they do to change it. This is seen by Nick returning West, and through nothing severely bad happening to the characters from old money.