Essay about The Great Gatsby- East Egg vs. West Egg

Summary- In Chapter 1, the reader finds that Nick Carraway, a moral and tolerant man from the Midwest, narrates and takes the role of author for the rest of the story. Throughout the book, the reader looks at the happenings through Nick's eyes and finds out what he is thinking. Chapter 1, like many chapter 1's, starts out with someone or something explaining themselves and showing how their life has gone thus far. The Great Gatsby is no exception. Nick says that he came from the Midwest to New York's "West Egg" on Long Island. As the name might imply, there is also an "East Egg", which Nick describes the more fashionable of the two. East Egg is where Nick goes one evening, in order to reacquaint himself

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.

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 way Gatsby looks at the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes how the American Dream is unattainable for society. Gatsby lives in a mansion in West Egg right across the bay from Daisy’s house in East Egg. East Egg represent the people of the old money aristocracy. Gatsby is next door neighbors with a character named Nick. Nick is the main character in the story which he also narrates. One late night Nick witnesses Gatsby reaching out to a

1. Diction Nick employs brutal diction in describing the Valley of Ashes as a “dumping ground” (Fitzgerald 24). This highlights the neglect and disparity of the area between Long Island and Manhattan. He implies that it is a place where unsuccessful individuals end up, hopeless and lacking the means to escape. It also represents a sense of poverty, in contrast to the conditions of East Egg and West Egg, as well as portrays a clear distinction of classes.

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     

They are seen as a god that watches over the Valley of Ashes and sees all that goes on there, “Wilson looks out over the Valley of Ashes, not upon the dew and stirring birds as Nick and Gatsby, but upon the dead eyes of T.J Eckleburg. Astonished, Michaelis watches as Wilson reveals that he worships Eckleburg as a god. The contrast between the blue-gray dawn of the wasteland and the gold-turning dawn of West Egg is evident this time, not just apparent. Both Nick and Wilson make commitments in that dawn - Nick to another human being, to life, and Wilson to a gaudy graven image, to death” (Seiters 87). People that do not live in the Valley of Ashes look at it differently than those living there. Nick looks upon the billboard as an overseer, but Wilson looks to the billboard as a god. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg are no different than the rest of the Valley of Ashes in the way they look. “The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose” (Fitzgerald 23). The color of the billboard has been dimmed by numerous paintless days under the sun as they watch over the dumping

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.

The importance of two places in a literary work not only reveal the meaning of the work, but the hidden pieces of demonstrating one’s true destination and significance in the work. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald applies a meaning to the two separate places known as East Egg and West Egg. The two conflicting places reveal the differentiating actions taken toward the social and economic statuses, which leads to the sorrowful events of dehumanization. The West Egg, a part of the new societal values has been noted to consist of snobbish wealthy citizens who have attained wealth through illegal terms; the East Egg side includes those that have gained wealth from generation to generation, the ones with old money and aristocracy,

“The Great Gatsby is a novel without a moral center, and to that extent is very different from the narrative traditions of a comic.” ( Lehan "Rood" ). The East and West Egg societies are at odds with each other due to difference in heritage and origin of wealth. Nick Carraway, the main character, gets caught in the middle of this when he moves into a small home set in the shadow of a castle on the West egg owned by the mysterious Jay Gatsby. This new home seems to be a good fit for him as he is in fact trying to acquire money as a newcomer in the stock business.

Gatsby did everything he could to build his empire and make sure it was enough for Daisy, but when he died, there “wasn’t any use” because “nobody came” to his funeral (Fitzgerald 174). Regardless of his extravagant parties and kind nature, all his prosperity did nothing for him in the end as he was left lonely. Gatsby got himself into illegal behavior in order to gain success, but his rise in status wasn’t enough for East Egg, including Daisy and Tom, who looked down on him as a poor soldier and lousy bootlegger. West Egg, while upper class, is looked down upon from the East Egg, especially Daisy who was “appalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along a short-cut from nothing to nothing” (Fitzgerald 107). Though they have worked hard to build themselves to the upper class, the people of West Egg are perceived as pretentious in their hedonism, while the people of East Egg are not as

The Valley of Ashes represents the socially unaccepted. The characters in the Valley of Ashes represent poverty. “This is the Valley of Dry Bones, the Waste Land, The dusty replica of modern society, where ash-grey men are crumbling, like Eliot’s hollow men” (Bicknell 98). Myrtle and George Wilson both live in a run down garage in the Valley of Ashes. Myrtle Wilson tries desperately to improve her life and get out of the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes also represents doom and death. Myrtle is found as the victim of a hit and run caused by Daisy and Gatsby. The Valley of Ashes represents the death and dreams for Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson. These characters die in the novel due to misconception and anger.

The geography behind Gatsby and the backdrop of it makes Gatsby more able to understand what is happening in the story. There are two sides of the lake, The East egg and the West egg. The East egg is where the people that had money passed down from generation to generation and the people didn’t really do much in life to get at that point because they just had money given to them from old family members. This is where Tom and Daisy live.

Setting is an integral part of a novelist's or playwright’s ability to communicate characters’ ideals and attitudes. One of the greatest American authors, Francis Scott Fitzgerald also employs these essential strategies when describing the three main setting of The Great Gatsby: West Egg, East Egg, and the Valley of the Ashes. Fitzgerald relates West Egg with the “less fashionable” side of Long Island and “new money”, relates East Egg to the “fashionable” side of Long Island and “old money”, and relates the Valley of Ashes to a desolate wasteland that represents the crumbling of the American Dream and the destruction caused by modern society. West Egg promotes ideals of individuality and illegality and creates an atmosphere of lavish spending; however, East Egg gives rise to ideals of upper class society fueling attitudes of condescension towards lower classes of people including West Egg, while the Valley of Ashes is the manifestation of the desolate wasteland surrounding a city that represents the withering of the American Dream.