From the beginning of The Great Gatsby there have been references to how West Egg and East Egg differ. We know the two “eggs” rarely interact with each other therefore leading the reader to believe they have two completely different life-styles. In chapter VI this assumption is proved true when Daisy and Tom attend Gatsby’s party. The party shows the reader that people from East Egg are more close minded and like to stick to traditions, while those from West Egg are easier going and more open minded.
The reader can truly see the differences in life styles and personalities between East and West Egg when Nick narrates, “But the rest offended her- and inarguably, because it wasn’t a gesture, but an emotion. She was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented ‘place’…she saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand.” At this point the reader realizes it may not just be an argument of new money or old money, but something deeper in the philosophy of life and how people should behave. These are my conclusions from this chapter, but my question is, are there any other deeply rooted conflicts between East and West Egg, that are not based on money or wealth?
I personally like the East egg more. They have a tradition going with wealth passed down and they seem to be much more honest. The people in the west egg for a start seem to be younger so they give out the impression that the only thing they really care about is money. They don't care about if it is honest or not they just seem to care about how much they have. This is sort of like NYC where the East side is the "richer" while the West side is "cheaper."
ReplyDeleteHmmm... but Tom and Daisy are both from East Egg. Would we call them "honest?" Also, look at the list of the East Eggers who attend Gatsby's party (chapter 4). Their lives are riddled with violence and scandal.
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