In the Great Gatsby, it is all about the Benjamins. On the one hand, we have the old money, inhabitants of East Egg, who have had money in their family for a long time. The old money are people mark with class possessing very high stature and connections. On the other hand there is the new money, this group is made up of those who came up from "rags to riches", working themselves from the ground up. Ironically, the people from old money look down on the new money. They feel the newcomers have it easy whereas the old money and their ancestors had to work for their riches. (Do they not realize that their riches were inherited and not earned? Do they even realize that all old money was once new?) Anyhow the two groups have a little bit of a rivalry and choose not to really fraternize with each other.
In the book there seems to be dollar-signs painted all over town, but there were those who didn't have much (I like to call them "everybody else"). These people basically have nothing when compared to the Toms or Gatsbys but that didn't' stop them from enjoying the lavish lifestyles money can buy. They passed their time going to extravagant parties like that of Gatsby where they got a chance to experience fine things and have a good time.
In perspective of today, we have old and new money but they seem to pretty much get along (except for the occasional rivalry between celebrities but sometimes those are publicity stunts). Today there isn't much integration between those with money and "everybody else". However, it would be really fun if there was. I would love to go to a party like the ones Gatsby threw in the book.
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