$ Old Money...New Money? $

"I disapproved of him from beginning to end" (154), says Nick Carraway about Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzergald's The Great Gatsby. In class, we discussed the possible reasons why Nick "disapproved" of Gatsby for the duration of their relationship and we found that one reason was because Gatsby was considered "new money".

Gatsby did not come from a wealthy family, unlike Nick. According to Nick, the Carraway family has been "prominent, well-to-do people... for three generations" (3), and the fact that Gatsby did not come from a "well-to-do" family, like his own, suggests that Nick disapproves of Gatsby for his non-traditional, showy, and luxurious lifestyle.

Though this story takes place in the "roaring twenties", a time where social classes were rigidly separated, the idea of new money vs. old money is still apparent in today's society. For example, the Village of Winnetka's roots trace back to the mid 1800s and has since become one of those most affluent towns in the United States. I am very thankful to live in such a comfortable community, but I am even more thankful for the connections that an "old money"(esque) community offers. Not only have I gone to fantastic schools, but my family and friends know people who can help me get into certain colleges, land certain internships, and eventually, get certain jobs. Conversations about how "so-and-so" is an alum of that prestigious school out east, and how "what's-her-face" is the vice president of that big company you'd love to work for, are frequent in my household.

As evidenced by my own family, many members of this community have lasting ties to the community and the New Trier district school system. My father, like many New Trier parents, grew up in this district, got an outstanding education in college and graduate school, became successful, and then decided to raise his children in the same environment.
This cycle is not uncommon in this community by any means. It makes sense, right? Any man would want to raise a family in the same place he found success. But does this cycle make it harder for people of lower class to rise up? Moving up in society is often about who you know and what connections you have, so if you have no connections in the upper class, how does that effect the odds of moving up?