One of the most prevalent themes in The Great Gatsby is sectional conflict, and Fitzgerald uses settings, characters, and commentary to develop this idea throughout the novel. The first indication of this theme occurs in the description of West and East Egg: “...the less fashionable of the two...” against “...the white palaces of fashionable East Egg...” (Fitzgerald 5). There is a literal difference in the homes located on each because Fitzgerald chose diction that diminishes the greatness of West Egg homes while the diction for East Egg homes builds distinction. Tom Buchanan represents the East as a character because he dresses in riding clothes and brags about converting his garage into a stable; both of these attributes speak to his old fashioned thinking. Both Gatsby and Nick represent the West in their possessions and actions; they both moved from the Midwest to New York in pursuit of money and change…show more content… For Gatsby and Tom, the way they each make money is quite different, and they desire to use this money to impress Daisy. Many Northerners made money through banking success and expansion into the west while Southerners had family plantations they ran to make agricultural money. Like the Southerners, Tom has family money and traditions he follows, but Gatsby made his money through business like the Northerners. Tom clings to old-fashioned traditions like horseback riding similar to Southern traditions of slavery whereas Gatsby focuses on new technology and conventions like the Northern development of railroads west. In each of these cases, sectional differences drive conflict leading to loss of life and epitomizing the theme of sectional conflict; Fitzgerald uses the reader’s knowledge of American history to develop this central conflict in the
