Great Gatsby and Tom B.

I just finish reading Great Gatsby and I loved it! I love the way he writes and I must say it was the most lovely novel. I was also reading the analysis of the book on Sparknotes and wrote how Jay Gatsby was like the "new money" (someone who spends tons of money noticeably and have their fortunes within their lifetimes) and Tom was like the "old money" (someone who gets their fortunes from generations and from families). Can someone explain how Tom is like "old money"? I don't really agree with that.

I love this book and I really would like to dicuss about this,

Thanks
JJ

In the first chapter, Tom's family is described as "enormously wealthy." Simply because of his family's wealth, Tom resides in the old money class of American society. Furthermore Tom lives among the "white palaces of fashionable East Egg," which contrasts with the "less fashionable" West Egg. Although members of both Eggs may be wealthy, the members of East Egg represent the old money class whereas the members of West Egg represent the new money class. Take Gatsby, who resides in West Egg, for example. Gatsby who is born in a nameless town in Minnesota accumulates his new wealth from his involvement with Meyer Wolfsheim.

I agree with rc2101. Tom can be considered as "old money" because his wealth is not new and it is not really his own; it has been passed down to him. The East Eggers are like the traditional elite; they have all always been rich so they've lived there forever and have always had their mansions and stylistic life. People like Gatsby have come upon fortune through their own "skills" and "resources," and are "new money." Another term could be "noveau riche" (I think that's how it's spelled). They are still fabulously wealthy but considered "less fashionable" because they have not been bred and raised with this sort of wealth and upper class lifestyle. Tom and Daisy are both East Egg-ers.