In chapter 6, the readers have a more detailed view of the differences between East Egg and West Egg. What appears in this chapter is that the East Egg people look down upon the West Egg people for two reasons. From both Daisy and Tom's perspectives, the West Egg inhabitants have earned their money quickly and therefore, shadily and dishonestly. "A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know." Tom, page 107. Although these are assumptions and accusations, it seems quite possible that Tom is somewhat correct given the intimations about how Gatsby has gained his wealth. In addition, even if the West Egg people made their money more honestly, there seems to be a distinct difference between old and new money. why is there this profound, important distinction? It would seem to me that making your own money would be worth more than just inheriting it. Even so, Daisy and Tom, representing old money and East Egg look down upon this "world complete in itself" (page 104) as something shameful. "She was appalled by West Egg... appalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along short-cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand." page 107.
Also, as an aside, how confusing is that paragraph I quoted on page 107. I'm not entirely sure what some of that meant.
Honestly, I think that the reason the old money looks down on the new money may be the fact that, yes, they might have earned it less honestly, but in fact that they are jealous. There is this new competition to be in this elite class of wealth, and the East Egg is scared of loosing their position as the rich dignified ones.
ReplyDeleteI think the real question here is: Which side is FizzyG rooting for? His descriptions of west egg are hardly flattering (Drunken people, gangsters, bootlegging), but neither is his description of east egg. Tom is the most east-eggy of all the characters we've met, and we are hardly inclined to like him. He treats women as objects, has no sense of humor, and is an all around no-fun kind of guy. If there is no "good" side, Fitzgerald may be saying both sides are "bad". If that's the case, we might as well all give up our worldly possessions, because he'd be saying that all wealth is "bad".
ReplyDeleteFizzyG.. I like it. You're edging towards a Marxist reading there, Tim!
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