Unlike the Buchanans, Gatsby was born into a poor family, only coming to wealth in the 1920s boom. Nick Carraway also comes from a similar (though not as extravagant) background-his family had been rich by Midwestern standards for “three generations” before he came to New York.Ĭonversely, Gatsby belongs to the ‘ nouveau riche’, or new money. “The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for, jumping over sun-dials and brick walls and burning gardens-finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run.” For now, consider this image of their home (and those ponies on the left, which they also own), described as follows: It also affects their values, as we’ll see in the following section.

This means they were born into already wealthy families, which affects their upbringing and ultimately defines them, from the way they speak (Tom’s “paternal contempt” and Daisy’s voice, “full of money”) to their major life decisions (including marriage, symbolised through the “string of pearls” he buys for her-which, fun fact, is estimated to be worth millions of dollars today). Tom and Daisy belong to the ‘old money’ establishment, where wealth is generational and inherited. Wealth and classįitzgerald explores tensions between three socio-economic classes-the establishment, the ‘nouveau riche’ and the working class. Yes, money can’t buy love, but it also can’t buy a lot of other things associated with the lifestyle and the values of established wealth. The answer to that isn’t so obvious though. Add a drop of Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy, and you have a story that ultimately examines how far people go for romance, and what money simply can’t buy. The Great Gatsby traces how the differences between these characters can be destructive even if they’re all wealthy. At the same time, the booming economy meant that others (like the narrator Nick) were relocating to cities in pursuit of wealth, and (like Gatsby) making significant financial inroads themselves. Tom and his wife Daisy have belonged to the 1% for generations, and the 1920s saw them cement their wealth and status. In Fitzgerald’s novel, the Buchanans are one such family. This meant that average American families were able to get these things for the first time, while more prosperous families were able to live in extreme excess.

On the other hand, the modern, American economy was emerging-people began buying costly consumer goods (like cars, appliances, telephones etc.) using credit rather than cash. On the one hand, social and cultural norms were shifting-men no longer sported beards, and women were dressing more androgynously and provocatively. This snapshot from the 2013 film adaptation actually tells us a lot about the 1920s.

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