Analysis of "The Great Gatsby"

768 Words4 Pages
Georgina Guzman Mr. Young AP Literature August 25, 14 Analysis of “The Great Gatsby” The setting in a passage indicates where the story takes place but in some cases can symbolize a character’s shift in emotions. It can also foreshadow a scene that will take place later on in the story. In the story, “The Great Gatsby”, setting is one of the main resources utilized by the author to tell this story and to differentiate the characters and their emotions. At the beginning of “The Great Gatsby,” Fitzgerald indicates the location of “East Egg” and “West Egg” which are located in the city of New York. East Egg is where two of the main characters Tom and Daisy live in, Tom is considered a man of old money. Therefore, East Egg represents old money and wealth. On the other hand, West Egg- where the main character Gatsby lives- symbolizes new money, which is different from old money because old money is people who have generated from a wealthy family and have been wealthy all their lives. Therefore, new money categorizes individuals who have had to work their way up to become rich and usually do not descend from a wealthy family. West Egg and East Egg is where the story takes place but also what symbolizes the description of the characters. In certain times, the season in which a story takes place, can symbolize a certain character’s phase in emotion. It can also foreshadow a scene that will occur later on in the story. In The Great Gatsby, the majority of the plot takes place during the summertime; the summer symbolizes Gatsby living life and the enjoyment he feels when he is reunited with Daisy once again. The confrontation between Gatsby and Tom takes place on the “hottest day of summer” according to the novel. The confrontation taking place on the hottest day of summer indicates the big tension within Tom and Gatsby. This scene is the most tense because it is
Open Document