What Does The East And West Egg Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

In America’s history, there was a time of prosperity, celebration, and optimism after a brutal war. Consequently, people recognize these times as the “Roaring 20’s”. Symbolism is an ingenious way for authors to link their works with that adventurous time in history. Moreover, F. Scott Fitzgerald created the ideal function of this literary device in his book The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses the East and West Egg, a green dock light, and a towering billboard to symbolize paramount themes and to influence significant events in the plot. One of the first symbols the reader comes across in the novel is the East and West Egg is separating the wealth of New York City. The East Egg is where the upper class from old money thrives and lives comfortably. Fitzgerald describes East Egg near the beginning of the novel. “Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water…” (10).The Narrator, Nick Carraway, describes East Egg as an …show more content…
“...and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away…” (25,26).This secluded light marks Daisy’s East Egg dock, and Gatsby can barely make it out from where his West Egg house is located. Gatsby thinks that the light reminds him only of Daisy. Throughout the book, Jay is constantly struggling to hold all of Daisy’s love and loyalty. However, she ends up leaving him, and moves away with her husband. What this distant light actually marks is the hopes, dreams, and desires that Gatsby has for the future. However, comparable to Daisy and the light, Gatsby will never reach these goals. The theme depicted by this green light is that Gatsby’s goals are always just out of reach due to his place in society. Opportunities are open to the upper class citizens of East Egg, but all of the doors are shut for people similar to Jay Gatsby who is trapped in the chains of the West