East Egg And West Egg In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Once Nick Carraway, the narrator, moves into a small home in West Egg, he soon comprehends that East Egg and West Egg are completely different. Carraway realizes the East Egg is where the upscale residents live and West Egg is more economically disadvantaged as he explains, “I lived at West Egg, the--well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Fitzgerald 5). East Egg residences extremely wealthy people whose wealth has been passed down the line for years, while West Egg houses the hard-working people who build up their wealth. Furthermore, Thomas C. Fowler defines that living in a wealthy, luxurious geographical environment can reconstruct a character into a conceited personality explaining, “Literary geography is typically about humans inhabiting spaces, and at the same time the spaces inhabiting humans” (174). This theory is correct because the residences’ in East Egg are spoiled, selfish people finding themselves in a wealthy and treasured lifestyle.

Tom Buchanan, a member of the East Egg comunity, is shown to have amazing tastes, in particular when it comes to the beauty of his home. Fitzgerald writes, “Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens-finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though the momentum of its run. The front was broken by a line of french windows glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoon” (6). The way in which Nick describes Toms home, makes it sound like a beautiful wonderland. It seems extremely elegant and just simply perfect. Even the setting and time of day match its beauty coincidentally. Furthermore, the intricacy of Toms home reflects what people think of the people who reside in East Egg. Their tastes seem to be so far ahead of everyone else’s, and they are able to express their minds through crafting these landscapes with ease. This portrays a very pretty picture of what Fitzgerald wants the reader to think about the characters who reside in East Egg.

It is filled with the people who are born into the rich and established families - the old money. They are a lot more stuck up than the people who live on the West Egg. The East Egg is an elite society filled with carelessness, fashion, corruption, and lack of consideration others. Nick cannot forgive Daisy and Tom for their negligence and says “[They are] all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made ” (Fitzgerald 137). After Gatsby dies, Nick begins to see the true colors of the people he is surrounded by. No one shows to Gatsbys funeral and the Buchanans move away, leaving no new address and no way of being contacted.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses West Egg and East Egg as a symbol for class systems to reveal the differences between the two social classes. The difference between the two social classes are vast. East Egg refers to whom came into wealth. West Egg refers to whom carried down wealth from traditional upper-class families. During the 20th century, East Egg residents were more prestigious. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you had (Fitzgerald 1).” Many wealthy people were born into wealth. Some wealthy are born poor but had to earn their way up. “And I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool(Fitzgerald 30).” Women who were housewives in the 1920s didn’t get as much respect as Men did (BBC 7). “An Oxford man!” He was incredulous. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit (Fitzgerald 110).”

When comparing West Egg and East Egg, the reader perceives the differences and similarities of wealthy and middle class characters as members of American society. Both sides of the American spectrum try to embellish on the fantasies of life, often holding gatherings. While at a party in West Egg with Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway meets Myrtle Wilson the wife of a local mechanic, and mistress of Mr. Buchanan. “The apartment was on the top floor – a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom and a bath. The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in gardens of Versailles” (Fitzgerald, 33). According to the entry depicting the apartment where the party is held, the people of West Egg have no room in their lives for glamour

The main point in The Great Gatsby is identity. It revolves by Nick’s narrative focusing on Gatsby and himself. As well as loniness and how it can affect others. As an example in the novel, West Egg described the new coming rich meanwhike the East Egg described the inherited of an empty rich. The author Fitzgerald, F. Scott showed rich people as carefree and uptight people. For as Gatsby is described as the new rich fpr having a huge mansion and having good clothengs. And as for the East Egg they are more calm and colletive with a good qualaty of elegance. The East Egg can be well described as the Buchanan’s family household and how well dress

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the West Egg consist of two main characters, Jay Gatsby and Nick Caraway, both who want to obtain the American Dream. The American Dream consists of an aspirer of a lower social class hoping to acquire the utmost wealth to become similar to those of East Egg. Furthermore, East Egg subsists of “old money,” a population of a high social class of people who don’t strive to achieve wealth like the West Eggers. The contrast of the two sides is evident as the characters of West Egg are portrayed as wed to the vitality of the American Dream.

The East Egg and West Egg are symbolic of the effects of wealth and the corruption of values. The West Egg is the home of the newly rich, like Gatsby, and those like him who have made huge fortunes, but lack the traditions associated with old wealthy families. The West Egg made up of families like the Buchanans, have a tradition of money, have grown up with money and have never had to work for anything     

West Eggers are the newly rich; the people who have worked hard and earned their money in a short period of time. Their wealth is epitomized on material possessions. Gatsby, like the West Eggers, lacks the traditions of the East Eggers. He is considered 'new money', in the sense that his wealth came to him more recently through his own success. Although Gatsby is now a part of this class, his faith and belief in the success of his dreams has allowed him to preserve some morality. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, lives in West Egg and exhibits honesty in this place of superficiality. Clearly the West is able to preserve some ethics while the East is not able to grasp any. Although West Egg is the more moral, it is still a place of superficiality and materialism.

First, the status of the families is one way to show the contrast between the Valley of Ashes, East Egg, and West Egg. The families of East Egg are wealthier than those of West Egg and the Valley of Ashes. East and West Egg symbolize wealth and high status. The Buchanan’s wealth and status are shown by the fact that they have an expensive house and car,

Additionally the interior yellow can symbolize gold and lavish objects. Moreover an egg is used as the division of the town East egg and West egg. This precious metal is a social status and signifies wealth. The division of these competing areas separates the newly rich from the historically wealthy families. The narrator Nick, comments that he lives in West Egg, being the,” well the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them” (Gatsby 5). By saying this, nick expresses the idea of his egg (West Egg) being less fashionable and desirable than the other more prominent side (East Egg). Even though some might not live in the more fashionable part of town you still can achieve the American Dream. Nick and the west side represent those that have actually worked hard and earned their new status. This part of town houses Nick and Gatsby, which do show that if you put in hard work you, can achieve the American dream.

The west eggers on the other hand would do anything to be looked at as equal as their foes. The whole idea that inherited money meant more then earned money was more important then if you even had money at all. Tom, when realizing the lust that Gatsby and daisy were hiding for each other, was angrier at the fact that she would associate let along long to be with someone from the "west egg". This whole notion of the expectations that the East eggers had for the wealthy and rich society of New York were constantly strived toward by the west eggers driving some, such as Gatsby mad with greed and corrupting both societies from the inside out. Gatsby constantly strived to lead a rich and glamorous life to impress people like the long time wealthy such as daisy, corrupting him form a young age which he carried throughout his whole life.

Like East Egg and West Egg, they are both modern and uprising communities of New York. East Egg is where Daisy and Tom live. A place where people that are well educated, have a high status stay. Their origins have also come from the lavish and rich inheritance of American society. This is what is known as ‘Old Money’ people, the kind that defiance the poor. West Egg, is where Nick caraway and Gatsby lives. They are also wealthy people, but with a different background. Jay Gatsby is uneducated, but a rising newcomer in the fireball of wealth. As a comparison to the East Eggers, the west side lacks the polish standards of choice. Although Gatsby is kind hearted in the inside, he will always be an outsider to the high class. Because it wasn’t meant to be, it was a miracle from the roots of where he is from. One of the many themes from this book is presented in the movie from the angles of East Egg and West

The social group West Egg represents the corruption of the American Dream, during the 1920’s. Fitzgerld describes West Egg as a home for the newly rich. This is a place where people who have recently become fortunate live. It is a place that represents new money. New money portrays the image of the corruption of the American Dream by showing how the people strived for acquiring only material goods. It made attaining material goods their goal in life. In addition, people in the 1920’s connected the American Dream to making quick money. In The Great Gatsby many of the residents that lived in West Egg became fortunate through illegal methods, such as bootlegging alcohol or gambling. Fitzgerld shows this through the character Gatsby. Gatsby’s goal was to become wealthy so that he could win Daisy’s love. By selling stolen alcohol Gatsby was able to mange to rise up to the top of the upper class and live in West Egg. The want for money and power to achieve love shows the decay of the American Dream. The parties that were held at West Egg also represent the corruption of the American Dream. The parties that Gatsby threw were huge and glamorous. Everyone from West and East Egg would attend these parties. They had no care for who Gatsby was. Rather, they only cared that he was someone who was extremely

Despite the general characterization of the upper class as gentle, well-mannered people, the kind, well-bred characters are more of the West Eggers than the upper class East Eggers. In fact, the upper class displays the worst behaviors. Tom, for example, is arrogant, selfish, hypocritical, and constantly rude to Gatsby. He proudly speaks out racist and sexist views, and shows violence such as when he breaks Myrtle’s nose for merely annoying him. When the Buchanans at the end, simply move away than attend Gatsby’s funeral, they prove to be inconsiderate, careless people who “let other people clean up the mess they had made.”(179) Jordan, who is dishonest and a cheater, is not such a refined character either. Gatsby, on the other hand, is a “perfect gentleman”, what Wolfsheim regards as “a man of fine breeding”(71) He always maintains a polite and kind attitude, even when he’s with Tom and his condescending friends. He is continuously considerate and loyal, and although his manners come off as affectations, Nick nonetheless finds “something gorgeous about him”. When it comes down to personal charm and character, wealth and class mean nothing.