The Great Gatsby: Geography Vs. Social Values

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Bailey Florek Mr. M MYP English II- Gold 2 February 6, 2014 Geography vs. Social Values In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the Buchanan’s and Gatsby’s house to show the relationship between geography and social values. East Egg becomes centered around the Buchanan’s house; representing the distrust and shallowness of the rich. West Egg becomes associated with Gatsby’s mansion and the mystery behind his wealth. The comparison between the two magnificent mansions begins when Nick first arrives in New York. He goes to visit the Buchanan’s and when he first sees their house he is taken aback; “Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay” (Fitzgerald, 6).…show more content…
Take, for instance, Daisy and Jordan during dinner at the Buchanan’s; “They knew that presently dinner would be over and a little while later the evening, too, would be over and casually put away” (Fitzgerald, 12). The women are bored with life and live casually because of it. They know that what is happening now, will be of non-importance tomorrow. They do not live for the moment and only look forward to the next so they can passively get through life. This style of living is much different compared to that of the West Eggers. At the first of Gatsby’s parties Nick describes the atmosphere as such; “… the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names” (Fitzgerald, 40). There is constant commotion and conversation. People who barely know one another become instantly obsessed with affairs of their lives. Unlike the old rich, the new rich live in the now and are ebullient and excited about every detail. They enjoy the company of others and are truly interested in what is happening in world around them. Nothing like the old rich who have been everywhere and seen everything as Daisy has. At the Buchanan’s house Daisy talks about how the longest day of the year is approaching and mentions, “I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it” (Fitzgerald, 11). This symbolizes the emptiness in her life. She is shallow and only has one dimension to her, like most of East Egg. The old rich have one thing of importance and that is their wealth. Their wealth drives every aspect of their lives to ultimately obtain their desires. They believe if they have money, they have everything. The new rich are not much better than the old rich. However, they put a point

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