The Great Gatsby- East vs. West

"West Egg as a world complete in itself, with its own standards and its own great figures, second to nothing because it had no consciousness of being so." page 105


The setting plays an important part in this story. There is definitely a contrasting element to the East Egg and West Egg. The people interact with each other but they don't really like each other. I think the West Egg people are more of the people who get rich quick like the movie stars and live life in the fast lane. When Daisy goes to Gatsby's party she is appalled by the scene she sees and the way people act. I think the East Egg people are more civilized and either had to work for their money or are born into a rich family. Their attitudes are also contrasting. West Egg people seem to have more feelings and really care about people like Nick and Gatsby. The East Egg people seem to be more shallow and put money above everything like Tom and Daisy. There is also a contrast between the Western and Eastern part of the United States. "I see now that this has been a story of the West after all- Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I were all Westerners and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life." (177) The Easterners had a more fast paced way of life and were more consumed with social status and money. I think all of the characters got sucked into that way of life, some more than others. I think Nick left his home to experience that yet always felt like he could be more grounded at home because it was a simpler way of life.