Preview

What Does The West Egg Represent In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
560 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Does The West Egg Represent In The Great Gatsby
Two eggs and a valley The sun, hope, and life rises in the east and sets in the west. Symbolism resides within the setting and title of locations in the Great Gatsby. To some the location and name of a place can be simply just that,but to me the East and West Egg and the Valley of Ashes hold so much symbolism just in the location and name of a place. The East Egg, the land every person dreams to be in. Tom and Daisy lived here, they had ‘old money’ which is the more respected money. The green light resides on the East egg, both ‘old money’ and the green light are things that gatsby will never acquire, enforcing that the people of the West Egg will never be able to have ‘old money’ nor will the have the level of social status that those on the East Egg have. The sun when it rises creates light which can make evil flee and beauty and good come, and every morning the sun rises on the East Egg making it a glimmer of hope and beauty to men and women. To get Here though you need to go around the Valley of Ashes,on the Long Island Railroad or on a road. …show more content…
People on the East Egg are rich but they do not compare to those of the West Egg as they have ‘new money’, which is less respected money. Some on the West Egg like Gatsby desired to live/get something from the East Egg, but they couldn't get it because they are not respected as those of the East Egg are hence why Gatsby would never get the green light. With the sun setting on the East Egg it shows the good ends there as if its dwellers have gotten there through doing illegal

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In chapter one of The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald introduces the story using detailed imagery to create a mood for the book. The narrator, Nick Carraway, just moved to West Egg, Long Island, a neighborhood of up and coming young, wealthy people. While Nick himself isn’t over the top wealthy, he can afford a modest house next door to Gatsby’s mansion. Since he is in New York now, Carraway goes to visit his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan at their posh home across the bay in East Egg. East Egg is a more conservative, old money neighborhood where people who have been inheriting their families money for years live. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates a serene mood at the Buchanan household using vast specific details such as…

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The East Egg depicts the established aristocratic families with their inherited money while the West Egg depicts those characters that strive to become rich and obtain money in “get-rich-quick schemes” as shown by Gatsby’s bootlegging. Having large amounts of money for a long period of time is prejudicial as it causes corruption and makes the owners become desensitized, shallow, selfish and hypocritical. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows his distaste towards the deceitful aristocratic class through Tom and Daisy, the two East Eggers. Both Tom and Daisy have been blessed with their luxurious lifestyle, but they become superficial through the hypocrisy within their relationships; frivolity for materialism and wealth; and lack of sympathy and moral values.…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    strong symbolism from the the East and West Eggs, colors, class systems and even the meaning of money. The East and West Eggs Hold much more than homes and people, they hold secrets and truths. In Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby the East and West Eggs are not as they appear; the root of all character conflict goes back to these two homes.…

    • 1519 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the symbols that Fitzgerald uses in The Great Gatsby is Gatsby himself. He symbolizes the heroism of the world. Throughout the entire novel, Gatsby acts as a heroic figure by trying to win Daisy’s love back. He is determined and will do anything to make sure that happens. The green light on the dock of Daisy’s house can have many different meanings for Gatsby.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism and imagery play an enormous role in “The Great Gatsby”. Symbolism can be defined as, the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities; Imagery can be defined as visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work. Sometimes it seems that on every page there is at least one example of symbolism or imagery. The symbolism and imagery in this book really represents what it was like to live at that point in time.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many novels, two opposing places create the story. In the case of The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald, two opposing neighborhoods, East Egg and West Egg serve to contrast each other. East Egg being the “old rich” meaning families that come from money and West Egg being the “new rich” meaning families that are first generation wealthy. The contrast of the two areas contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole to show the difference in lifestyle within the upper class and specifically between Gatsby and the Buchanan family.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sometimes a symbol is all you need to say a thousand words. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby the lavish lifestyle of many of the characters ultimately leads to major consequences as their actions play a part in the crumbling American Dream. The tragic story of love, greed, and secrets exploits the toxic lifestyle of Gatsby, Daisy, and others in both West and East Egg. The significance of the many symbolic elements in The Great Gatsby reveals the themes that led to the downfall of many of the characters.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    These symbols in the Great Gatsby are one of the ways Fitzgerald connects the novel to the theme of the 1920s. While the characters are trying to achieve the American Dream, they are destroying their lives along the way. The ongoing clash between love and wealth is slowly getting the best of all of…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Living in West Egg was less respectable then living in East Egg. The social structure was not of much concern to Gatsby and he paid little attention to etiquette or class. His obsession with Daisy took top priority, and while his intentions were sincere, Gatsby put himself in positions to be made a fool. My God, I believe the mans comingDoesnt he know she doesnt want him?(Fitzgerald.6.109). When invited by the Sloanes, a wealthy couple from East Egg, to eat dinner with them, Gatsby innocently accepts, not realizing it was merely a formality. His pure love for Daisy shows through in all aspects of his life, affecting his judgment and ability to see through those with less than genuine…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and adds complexity to the characters and deepens our understanding to their true identity. There is always a deeper thought into everything that happens.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the book “The Great Gatsby”, F. Scott Fitzgerald finds different ways to incorporate symbolism that ties into the different characters and their different relationships with one another. The symbolism that he creates really shows how the american dream is never really possible.…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism, the appropriation of an object or word to represent an abstract idea of quality, is used in literature in order to communicate a deeper meaning and facilitate weaving the thematic intricacies of the plot with one another. In the highly acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbols are mentioned frequently to provide insight, such as the omniscient eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg, the mysterious Valley of Ashes, and the glowing green light Gatsby finds himself mesmerized with. The green light Gatsby reaches out for at the end of Daisy's east egg dock represents his hopes and dreams, and is symbolic of Daisy as his ultimate key to success, not only romantically, but monetarily and socially, exemplifying…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses symbolism in such detailed way. Fitzgerald integrates symbolism into the book so well that it is necessary to read it several times to fully understand it. Maureen Corrigan quotes “Many of us first read it when we were too young to fully comprehend its power.” Even a critic on the book itself had to read the story many times to fully understand all that the book has to offer. Fitzgerald focuses on three main themes in “The Great Gatsby” they are time, loss of appearance, and perspective. Most of the book’s structure is in one of these categories. In order to fully understand the book, we must better understand these three themes.…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby is a classic novel that represents the “American Dream” from the 1920’s. Everything from that time period in the book has a symbol. The main character, Gatsby, symbolizes the typical American and his love for Daisy is the obsession with reaching a nearly impossible goal. The “American Dream” is seen when Gatsby breaks down and finally tells everyone about his affair with Daisy and how long he has been chasing her. Additionally, it is also recognized when Jay Gatsby waits outside of Daisy’s house for reassurance that she is alright after the death of Myrtle Wilson but is turned down for the last, and final, time.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby lives in West Egg, but Daisy lives in East Egg. Having been told that East Egg is the wealthier of the two, this difference in location highlights the differences between Gatsby and Daisy's societal rank.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays