The Setting of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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The setting of The Great Gatsby is one of the most influential components of the novel. Perhaps the most significant places in the novel are the West and East Eggs. In the story, the eggs are described by Nick, the narrator, as, “…a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay” (Fitzgerald 9). However, the appearance of the two eggs is almost all they have in common as Nick point out when he says, “To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size” (Fitzgerald 9). As the story progresses, the dissimilarities between the two eggs begin to emerge, yet there is always a faint, common element among the two. The setting affects the events of the story and the clashing characters according to where the scene takes place, and which area each character is from, influencing the characters’ attitudes, background, and current lifestyle and values.

The two main homes that are described in the eggs are Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s. Gatsby’s house is described as, “…a factual imitation of the Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new… and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby’s mansion is garish and is used as an attempt to win Daisy’s attention and affection. His home is the site of lavish parties where denizens of both eggs gather. The parties at Gatsby’s house last all night and many come and go, “…like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby has dozens of crates of food delivered, caterers, and orchestras for his parties. These parties are not a rare occasion, though; he has them at least ever two weeks or so. Li...

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...s among their inhabitants, especially when Nick takes the reader to visit the homes of Jay Gatsby and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. The eggs also serve to represent two contrasting types of wealth: newly gained and inherited. Along with the opposing types of wealth come opposing attitudes, which greatly contribute to the story. All of the factors of the setting of The Great Gatsby affect the events of the story and the characters that make up the story considerably.

Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.

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