Social class is essential to the development of the characters of The Great Gatsby because of the contrast between new money, old money, and Gatsby’s representation of new money. The Great Gatsby begins with Nick Carraway as he describes the difference between West Egg and East Egg, which are two geographic symbols that accurately represent both new money and old money. “I lived at West Egg, the — well, the less fashionable of the two” (Fitzgerald, 5). West Egg is a representation of new money; therefore, it has been gained recently, introducing one to a wealthy lifestyle. Additionally, Nick describes East Egg “across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water” (Fitzgerald, 6). This represents those
