Classism has a strong influence on the characters in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee William. Both Tom Buchanan and Blanche Dubois show disrespect towards others due to their dominant classist views. Tom primarily shows his dislike for Jay Gatsby, due to Gatsby's position as a member of the "Nouveau Riche", or nouveau riche, in great contrast to Tom's "Old Money". Blanche directs her disgust at Stanley Kowalski, because Blanche believes that she and her sister enjoy a high position in society, and Blanche does not approve of Stella marrying into a lower class. Tom and Blanche both strongly believe in the existence of a social hierarchy and disapprove of any deviation in this system. The Buchanans are a wealthy American family and have been for many generations. Tom Buchanan is classified as having "Old Money", because he receives his immense wealth through inheritance, rather than earning it himself as the Nouveau Riche had through business or investments. In the 1920s, it was very common for people like Tom to look down on members of the Nouveau Riche, like Jay Gatsby, and see them as a completely different class despite the congruence of their wealth. Tom clearly shows his disdain when he assumes that Gatsby is a criminal, asking Nick, "Who is this Gatsby anyway?...A big bootlegger?...A lot of these nouveau riche are just big bootleggers, you know" (Fitzgerald 114 -115 ). Although Tom's suspicion was later confirmed, it is an extremely prejudicial hypothesis, based solely on the fact that Gatsby is the New Rich. Tom also comments on Gatsby's appearance, as the Nouveau Riche are known for being ostentatious (Dictionary.com). When told that Gatsby is an "Oxford man", Tom and...... middle of paper ......ds Jay Gatsby, because Gatsby is a member of the flamboyant Nouveau Riche while Tom is descended from the refined Old Money. Blanche discriminates against Stanley Kowalski, because she believes that his foreign background and his position in the working class are strongly opposed to the sophisticated origins of his family. Tom and Blanche are disrespectful towards people who differ very little from them, simply because they believe that one is born into a class, and nothing they do can raise them above or below this class. They believe in American classism, an ideal that exists today and will continue to exist for many decades to come. Works CitedDictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. April 21, 2014. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1926. Toronto: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.Williams, Tennessee. A tram called Desiderio. 1947. Toronto: Penguin Group, nd Print.