The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and explores the theme of the conflict that exists between the different classes in society in terms of wealth and social status. In the novel, the settings reflects the level of social and wealth status each character has. There is a clash between the old money, new money and lower class. It arises from old money’s traditional views and new money and the lower classes’ desire for more. Setting is used to emphasise this through the three distinct settings in the novel that represent their level of wealth and status in society and the degree of fulfilment that the characters have achieved. The East and West Egg are used as a comparison between the people of old traditions and wealth
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This represents the elitists of American society, the East Egg is the old aristocracy who have had wealth for generations and the West Egg embodies those who had recently come into power through various other means. East Egg’s values are old fashioned, built on the comfortable and close relationship of old traditions. Because of their enormous wealth, they look down upon those of West Egg as many have gained fortunes through illegal means like Gatsby. The West Egg are the newly rich and represent the modernism that reflects the 1920s. Associated with frivolous spending and endless luxury, the inhabitants of West Egg have a desire to achieve similar status of East Egg but are deemed lacking in social credentials. They are gaudy and loud, unable to discern social situations. Jay Gatsby is a bodily representation of West Egg. He comes from a background of nothing and quickly took advantage of the state of the economy to gain wealth. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s house to compare the difference in standing between old and new money with Nick’s description: ‘The [house] was a colossal affair by …show more content…
This is shown through the use of settings such as the East Egg, West Egg and the Valley of Ashes. A comparison can be drawn from the setting that shows the rich will always be rich while the poor will remain. It is unrealistic to achieve one’s desire in life and Fitzgerald implies this through the story of the
This represents the elitists of American society, the East Egg is the old aristocracy who have had wealth for generations and the West Egg embodies those who had recently come into power through various other means. East Egg’s values are old fashioned, built on the comfortable and close relationship of old traditions. Because of their enormous wealth, they look down upon those of West Egg as many have gained fortunes through illegal means like Gatsby. The West Egg are the newly rich and represent the modernism that reflects the 1920s. Associated with frivolous spending and endless luxury, the inhabitants of West Egg have a desire to achieve similar status of East Egg but are deemed lacking in social credentials. They are gaudy and loud, unable to discern social situations. Jay Gatsby is a bodily representation of West Egg. He comes from a background of nothing and quickly took advantage of the state of the economy to gain wealth. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s house to compare the difference in standing between old and new money with Nick’s description: ‘The [house] was a colossal affair by …show more content…
This is shown through the use of settings such as the East Egg, West Egg and the Valley of Ashes. A comparison can be drawn from the setting that shows the rich will always be rich while the poor will remain. It is unrealistic to achieve one’s desire in life and Fitzgerald implies this through the story of the