In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where you live determines your status of wealth and popularity. Two characters in the story, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, represent the opposing sides of the Long Island Sound, East Egg and West Egg. East Egg is brimming with the generation whose money is passed down through their family, while West Egg is filled with a generation which has a more modern way of gaining wealth. This theme of wealth is evident in the homes of the two sections of Long Island, and is especially seen when compared to each other. The homes of Tom and Gatsby stand as symbols of the Old Money versus New Money conflict during the 1920s, the personalities that they have toward each other, and the importance of social
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Tom is the classic East Egger on the outside, and has a very insensitive view toward others. When Nick first approaches the Buchanan house, he sees a “house [that] was even more elaborate than [he] expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (6). The house exceeded Nick’s expectation of where Tom would live, because he did not expect it to be so sophisticated. This description is ironic to Tom’s personality because it is described as cheerful, when later in the novel it is revealed how cruel Tom can be towards Daisy or Myrtle. Later in the night, Tom also goes on to explain in his narcissistic view how he is aware his house is seen as better to those across the bay, included Gatsby’s home. Nick depicts Gatsby’s home saying, “it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side…” (5). Gatsby’s house is modeled after a castle, which just goes to show how hard Gatsby has to try to fit in with the people of East Egg, when he is living in West Egg. His house is very extravagant, and is more modern than Toms, which is fitting for him because Gatsby is part of the modern, New Money crowd. This reflects Gatsby’s wasteful and over-done personality, and his mysterious and over-the-top efforts to cover up his past with his new …show more content…
The social classes of the East and West Egg houses are defined as the East being a higher class than the West. Tom usually acts stubborn because of his higher label as an East Egger, and is always “too cool” for West Egg activities. One night when Daisy brings Tom to one of Gatsby’s famous parties, Nick describes the night by saying “perhaps [Tom’s] presence gave the evening its peculiar sense of oppressiveness–it stands out in my memory from Gatsby’s other parties that summer….. I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn’t been there before” (104). All night, Tom’s attitude of being too good for Gatsby brought down the mood of the party. By refusing to let loose and have fun at a West Egg event, even for one night, because of his ego, Tom killed the fun for all of his friends. Nobody felt comfortable that night, when they should have been enjoying the party like all of the other parties Gatsby has thrown over the summer. Gatsby on the other hand, is part of the lower social class because he lives in West Egg. Gatsby does not “fit in” with the crowd from East Egg, and is obsessed with trying to achieve the higher class, which he does not realize will never happen. Gatsby’s strive for perfection goes beyond his parties, and out to his guest. When one party guest ripped her dress, Gatsby “asked [her for her] name and home
Tom is the classic East Egger on the outside, and has a very insensitive view toward others. When Nick first approaches the Buchanan house, he sees a “house [that] was even more elaborate than [he] expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (6). The house exceeded Nick’s expectation of where Tom would live, because he did not expect it to be so sophisticated. This description is ironic to Tom’s personality because it is described as cheerful, when later in the novel it is revealed how cruel Tom can be towards Daisy or Myrtle. Later in the night, Tom also goes on to explain in his narcissistic view how he is aware his house is seen as better to those across the bay, included Gatsby’s home. Nick depicts Gatsby’s home saying, “it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side…” (5). Gatsby’s house is modeled after a castle, which just goes to show how hard Gatsby has to try to fit in with the people of East Egg, when he is living in West Egg. His house is very extravagant, and is more modern than Toms, which is fitting for him because Gatsby is part of the modern, New Money crowd. This reflects Gatsby’s wasteful and over-done personality, and his mysterious and over-the-top efforts to cover up his past with his new …show more content…
The social classes of the East and West Egg houses are defined as the East being a higher class than the West. Tom usually acts stubborn because of his higher label as an East Egger, and is always “too cool” for West Egg activities. One night when Daisy brings Tom to one of Gatsby’s famous parties, Nick describes the night by saying “perhaps [Tom’s] presence gave the evening its peculiar sense of oppressiveness–it stands out in my memory from Gatsby’s other parties that summer….. I felt an unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn’t been there before” (104). All night, Tom’s attitude of being too good for Gatsby brought down the mood of the party. By refusing to let loose and have fun at a West Egg event, even for one night, because of his ego, Tom killed the fun for all of his friends. Nobody felt comfortable that night, when they should have been enjoying the party like all of the other parties Gatsby has thrown over the summer. Gatsby on the other hand, is part of the lower social class because he lives in West Egg. Gatsby does not “fit in” with the crowd from East Egg, and is obsessed with trying to achieve the higher class, which he does not realize will never happen. Gatsby’s strive for perfection goes beyond his parties, and out to his guest. When one party guest ripped her dress, Gatsby “asked [her for her] name and home