The Great Gatsby: East versus West
The Differences from the Midwest in The Great Gatsby
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Midwest is indeed vastly different from the East. While the Midwest has more American down to Earth lifestyles with more traditional values, the East seems to be more like a European aristocracy. Secondly, the lifestyle of the Midwest is different the lifestyle Nick came to see in the East. Lastly, Nick had to adjust from environment of the spacious prairie of Louisville to the city. Overall, Nick is in shock about how different it is in the East. First off, growing up in the Midwest, Nick was raised with true American values and morals. Midwestern values tended to be strict and conservative. Although he came from a well to do family, they were not at all flamboyant and ostentatious. One thing his father taught Nick back home was not to judge other people, “Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope. (pg. 7)” Upon arriving in the East and visiting Daisy he is introduced to a world wealth. It was a society that was constantly looking for more money. Lastly, another value his father had taught him was honesty and not lie. When he first visits the Buchanan’s, his closed, rule-bound view of life comes to a halt when he learns about Tom’s mistress and how he cheats on Diasy. Nick is befuddled. He was raised and taught the exact opposite of what the people in the East do every day, lie. Overall, whether it be the new money earned by Gatsby on the West Egg or the inherited old wealth found in the East Egg, both set aside their morals and values in search of their vices. Secondly, the Midwesterners also lived a different lifestyle from the people in the East. The same people that Nick knew in the Midwest had taken on a much more sophisticated and almost snobbish persona. Nick’s family had worked hard and earned their place in society. Although when giving advice to Nick, his father may have spoken with tones of snobbishness, he was
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Midwest is indeed vastly different from the East. While the Midwest has more American down to Earth lifestyles with more traditional values, the East seems to be more like a European aristocracy. Secondly, the lifestyle of the Midwest is different the lifestyle Nick came to see in the East. Lastly, Nick had to adjust from environment of the spacious prairie of Louisville to the city. Overall, Nick is in shock about how different it is in the East. First off, growing up in the Midwest, Nick was raised with true American values and morals. Midwestern values tended to be strict and conservative. Although he came from a well to do family, they were not at all flamboyant and ostentatious. One thing his father taught Nick back home was not to judge other people, “Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope. (pg. 7)” Upon arriving in the East and visiting Daisy he is introduced to a world wealth. It was a society that was constantly looking for more money. Lastly, another value his father had taught him was honesty and not lie. When he first visits the Buchanan’s, his closed, rule-bound view of life comes to a halt when he learns about Tom’s mistress and how he cheats on Diasy. Nick is befuddled. He was raised and taught the exact opposite of what the people in the East do every day, lie. Overall, whether it be the new money earned by Gatsby on the West Egg or the inherited old wealth found in the East Egg, both set aside their morals and values in search of their vices. Secondly, the Midwesterners also lived a different lifestyle from the people in the East. The same people that Nick knew in the Midwest had taken on a much more sophisticated and almost snobbish persona. Nick’s family had worked hard and earned their place in society. Although when giving advice to Nick, his father may have spoken with tones of snobbishness, he was