Question

start on page 133 at \shes not leaving me!\
stop on page 135 at \they were gone, without a word, snapped out, made accidental, isolated, like ghosts, even from
our pity\
4 what does the exchange between tom and gatsby in this section suggest about the distinction between wealth
and class? rl.2, rl.3

Explanation:

This section of The Great Gatsby contrasts Tom's old, inherited "old money" class with Gatsby's newly acquired "new money" wealth. Tom's casual dismissal of Gatsby, and his secure, unchallenged social status despite his moral failings, shows that class is not just about wealth: it is rooted in generational privilege, social connections, and unspoken societal norms that exclude self-made people like Gatsby, even when they have comparable or greater financial means. Gatsby's inability to overcome this barrier reveals that class is a rigid, unearned hierarchy separate from individual wealth.

Answer:

The exchange suggests that wealth and class are distinct: Gatsby’s vast new money cannot overcome Tom’s inherited, generational "old money" class privilege. Class is rooted in unearned social status, family lineage, and entrenched societal norms, not just financial wealth, leaving self-made individuals like Gatsby excluded from the elite, insular upper class that Tom represents.