Setting: As it Prevails in The Great Gatsby
             The Great Gatsby is a novel of the 1920's, a time of flamboyance, excessiveness,
             and ambiguity. To fully capture and document this atmosphere, Fitzgerald spent many a
             page concerned with detail. Such descriptions become a stimulus for the story, setting the
             mood and pace, the tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. The characters are directly
             linked to their location. Indeed in The Great Gatsby, setting dominates the novel.
             Foremost, Fitzgerald chose to set the novel on the East Coast slightly outside New
             York City in two contrasting rich suburban areas, West Egg and East Egg. As New York
             City was the place to be and make money in the 1920's, Fitzgerald intently placed his
             story around the heart of the era. Additionally, the anxiety that is supposedly predominant
             in East Coast cities is also evident. Whenever the characters are in the city, tensions run
             In turn, the excitement, hype, and activity of the city is countered by the relaxed,
             lavish countryside where the characters reside. As one gets further away from the city
             geographically, the comforts of the surroundings increase linearly. By using physical
             separation, Fitzgerald shows class differences.
             In accordance, Fitzgerald sets wealthy characters on one of two eggs. Both hold
             an air of fantasy in the illusory concept that money can buy happiness. However, the
             "dreamlands" are different in the means of pecuniary profusion and the level of
             responsibility incumbent in their attitudes. Referring to the eggs' impending differences
             Nick observed, "To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in
             every particular except shape and size."
             Furthest from the city is the East Egg. Being the more fashionable of the two, it is
             where those with "old" money reside. Here Tom and Daisy Buchanon live in a house
             ...