The Great Gatsby settings Flashcards
East Egg vs. West Egg: Class and Social Distinction
East Egg: Represents old money, aristocracy, and inherited wealth. The homes are more conservative and grand, symbolizing stability and long-standing privilege.
“Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water.”
West Egg: Represents new money and the newly rich, which includes Nick and Gatsby. The homes here are more ostentatious and lack the pedigree of those in East Egg.
“I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them.”
Nick’s Cottage: Modesty and Independence
Nick’s small, modest home in West Egg reflects his middle-class background and his sense of being an observer rather than a participant in the excesses of wealth.
“My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so I had (…) the consoling proximity of millionaires—all for eighty dollars a month.”
Nick’s humble abode contrasts with Gatsby’s grand mansion and reflects his outsider status. It also serves as a physical reminder of the disparity between himself and his wealthy neighbors.
Gatsby’s Mansion: Excess and Mystery
Gatsby’s mansion is described as a lavish, grandiose structure, reflecting his immense wealth and extravagant lifestyle. However, it also symbolizes his longing for recognition and love, as well as the superficiality of his wealth.
“The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard—it was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy’
The mansion, an “imitation” of European architecture, reflects Gatsby’s desire to create an image of wealth and sophistication, though it lacks authenticity
Tom and Daisy’s House: Carelessness and Privilege
Tom and Daisy’s house in East Egg is described as luxurious but not overdone, with a sense of permanence and wealth that contrasts with Gatsby’s more flamboyant display of riches.
“Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay.”
The Georgian Colonial style reflects traditional values, privilege, and the sense of security that Tom and Daisy have in their wealth. Yet, despite its beauty, the house becomes a symbol of their carelessness and detachment from the consequences of their actions, as seen later in the novel.
The Green Light: Symbol of Gatsby’s Dream
The most significant element of the setting in Chapter 1 is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, which Gatsby gazes at from his mansion across the bay.
“He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.”
The green light represents Gatsby’s longing for Daisy and the unattainable nature of the American Dream. It is both a literal and symbolic part of the setting, casting a sense of distance, desire, and mystery that defines Gatsby’s character and his quest.
The Weather and Atmosphere: Tone and Mood
The warm summer evening described in Chapter 1 adds to the relaxed, almost dreamlike mood of the story’s beginning. It contrasts with the tensions that soon arise in Tom and Daisy’s interactions, as well as the looming tragedy of the novel.
“The sun had gone down behind the tall apartments of the city, and the bay was dotted with white sails that were moving against the wind.”
The Valley of Ashes: Desolation and Moral Decay
The valley of ashes is introduced as a bleak, desolate place situated between West Egg and New York City. It represents the industrial wasteland where the working class, like George Wilson, struggle to survive. This setting is symbolic of the moral decay and corruption that lie beneath the glittering surface of the wealthy characters’ lives.
“This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens’
The description of the valley emphasizes its grim, almost otherworldly appearance.
The ash-gray men who work in the valley are described as being barely alive, moving “dimly,” which highlights the dehumanizing effects of poverty and industrialization. This is where George and Myrtle Wilson live, a sharp contrast to the opulence of the Eggs and New York
The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg: Symbolism and Moral Judgment
Overlooking the valley of ashes are the faded eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg on a billboard, which serve as a symbolic presence throughout the chapter. The eyes suggest an all-seeing, godlike figure that silently judges the characters’ actions, especially Tom’s infidelity and moral decay.
“But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg.’
The eyes are a powerful symbol of moral oversight, suggesting that there is always something watching, even when the characters act without consequence. In a sense, they represent the loss of spiritual values in a world dominated by materialism and moral decay.
Wilson’s Garage: Poverty and Futility
Do this if we actually have to revise this
New York City: Excess and Hedonism
The Train Journey: Transition Between Worlds
