Gatzby Essay
Submitted By studynerd1234
Words: 704
Pages: 3
One can conclude rather facilely a person’s social class from just looking at where and how he lives. People find their homes in a place and society where they know they will belong. In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald uses three very evidently distinctive settings to emphasize the differences between the social classes. In the novel, The East Egg represents a wealthy, aristocratic society, the West Egg represents the society of wealthy but less dignified people than of the East Egg, and the Valley of Ashes symbolizes a poverty stricken society. The Great Gatsby’s two of the major characters, Tom and Daisy Buchannan, live in the aristocratic East Egg. The East Egg is situated in Long Island, only twenty miles from New York. As the narrator of the story, Nick describes “…the white palaces of fashionable East Egg”, it shows that the people living in there are not only wealthy but also elegant in their lifestyles and choices. For example, it is typical of East Egg people to only invite other East Eggers to their very formal and classy dinners. Fitzgerald writes of how Tom and his friends from the East Egg criticize Gatsby’s personality although Gatsby is as wealthy as Tom. Their attitude toward the people of West Egg demonstrates that they care about how long the person has been wealthy rather than how wealthy he is. The East Egg people know that they are the highest class in the society. Not only they have money, but also they have incomparable social reputation and standard which has been there for generations after generations. Fitzgerald portrays the East Egg so superiorly; one can realize instantly that if a person’s habitation is in East Egg, than he/she is in the highest level of the social class. The West Egg is just across from the bay which is in between of the two Eggs. In spite of the small distance physically, The West Egg’s social class is completely different than the East Egg’s. The people of the West Egg are the so called the “new rich”, who just have earned their money, did not inherit it. Also, Fitzgerald points out to the readers that despite of being very wealthy, Gatsby do not and cannot live in the East Egg. The barrier in between these two places is not the wealth, but the social class. In describing the West Egg Nick says, “…the less fashionable of the two”, which indicates that gaining wealth did not bring up their social class and reputation. Also in first half of the book, Gatsby throws parties every weekend and people of West Egg comes whether they are invited or not represents they do not have much of a dignity. Besides, Gatsby’s early poverty
