Home — Guides — The Great Gatsby — The Great Gatsby in Graphics: Visual Insights into Fitzgerald’s Classic

The Great Gatsby Study Guide

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby: Infographic

Character Map
Timeline
Old Money vs New Money

Character Map

Charecters map in The Great Gatsby

Timeline

Timeline in The Great Gatsby

Old Money vs New Money

In The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays two types of wealth: Old Money vs New Money. Old Money refers to those who have inherited their wealth, typically from their families, and have a long-standing social status. New Money refers to those who have recently acquired their wealth, usually through business ventures, and are trying to establish their social status. The differences between Old and New Money are highlighted through the characters in the novel.

Here is a comparison table of the two types of wealth:

	Old Money	New Money
Definition	Inherited wealth passed down from generation to generation	Newly acquired wealth through business ventures
Social Status	High social status with established connections in high society	Social status still being established and may not be accepted by Old Money
Values	Traditional values such as duty, honor, and family heritage	More concerned with displaying wealth through material possessions
Attire	Formal and conservative clothing	Flashy and ostentatious clothing
Homes	Large, established estates with history and tradition	Extravagant mansions with newly acquired wealth
Leisure activities	Sophisticated and refined leisure activities such as polo and yachting	More ostentatious leisure activities such as wild parties and excessive drinking
Language	More formal and refined language	More informal and colloquial language
Relationships	Typically marry within their social class and value loyalty and stability	More open to marrying outside of their social class and value appearances and social climbing