Jennifer Wilson

4-17-04

English 3 CP

Period 6

East Egg represents a cultured and refined type of society, while West Egg is the “new money” society that lacks the social connections to live amongst aristocracy. East Egg is seen as conservative, with high social rank and very good taste. The citizens of West Egg are flashy, lavish, and known to attain their money in shady ways. The two cannot intermingle as their values are opposite and the “old money” society is unwilling to give up their social positions. As the two Eggs are explored in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the reader discovers how large the expanse is between East and West Egg.

In The Great Gatsby, East Egg is the aristocratic “old money” society that inherited their money and social position from the generations that preceded them. “His family were enormously wealthy -- even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach--” (Fitzgerald 10). Like West Egg, they are characterized by having fabulous displays of wealth. However, East Eggers are more reserved in that they do not throw gaudy, superfluous parties just because they can. Unlike West Egg, they do not use their money on foolish things just to impress others. “People were not invited -- they went there. They got into automobiles… and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door… Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party…” (Fitzgerald 45). East Eggers usually want nothing to do with West Eggers and the East Eggers kept their distance. “East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gayety” (Fitzgerald 49). It is this breeding that seemingly prevents the West Egg society from infiltrating into the East Egg social ring.

West Egg is the ostentatious “new money” society that make their money in dubious ways. They lack the social “name” required to live in East Egg. “A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know” (Fitzgerald 114). The West Eggers spend their money foolishly, using it on showy parties, clothes, and cars. “I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall” (Fitzgerald 97). They use these parties to attract East Eggers, but to no avail. “I’d rather look at all these famous people in -- in oblivion” (Fitzgerald 112). The West Eggers, particularly Gatsby himself, buy copious amounts of things in an attempt to be impressive. “… I watched his… two motor boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam… his Rolls-Royce… five crates of oranges and lemons… on buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’ oeuvre, spiced baked hams… pastry pigs and turkeys” (Fitzgerald 43-44). These West Eggers are too flashy to be accepted among the ranks of the East Eggers.

One of the main reasons that East Eggers do not associate with West Eggers is the reputation that West Eggers have of being “bootleggers.” “‘She’s not leaving me!’ Tom’s words leaned down over Gatsby. ‘Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger’” (Fitzgerald 140). “Bootleggers” were seen as “gilded”, and since that is how West Egg is seen, the East Eggers refuse to give up the social position that took generations to achieve. The West Eggers are too extravagant and garish in the eyes of the East, while the latter is seen as being supercilious and shallow.

East and West Egg represent the different values of society in The Great Gatsby. East Egg is the stuffy, high society, while West Egg is the lower society: decadent and wasteful. The two are unmixable due to opposite morals, values, and the West Egg’s lack of social position. East Eggers are not willing to take a step down from aristocratic power to be with the people they see as “bootleggers”. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby portrays the distance between two different societies and the reason why they cannot mix.