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Differences Between East And West Egg In The Great Gatsby

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Throughout history, there has been an established social hierarchy. Dominated by wealth and social status, the hierarchy prevailed during the Roaring ‘20s. There was a large class distinction between people of great wealth and people in extreme poverty. The working and lower class were always blamed for the unacceptable actions of the wealthy. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby explores the socioeconomic differences in the neighborhoods of East and West Egg and the Valley of Ashes, revealing that individuals are confined to their social status and do not have the opportunity to change their class. East and West Egg are significantly similar, but the perception people have of each area creates a wealth and social status separation. The novel is based around New York, but specifically two areas of land labeled East and West Egg. The shell of each egg protects the rich people. The white part of the egg represents purity, while the yellow inside represents corruption and chaos (Olesen, “Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby”). Just outside of the city, there is “a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by courtesy bay” where Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan live (9). East and West Egg are physically the same; they both contain huge mansions and perfectly cut grass, but the water …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby explores East and West Egg and the Valley of Ashes, examining the differences in social status between the two. Life during this time was based around social status and wealth. Most people’s lives were about how much money one had and how high in the social hierarchy they were. Many people became rich through organized crime or bootlegging. The social hierarchy still exists today, but now one can change their lives to become a different level of the social hierarchy. There will always be an upper and lower class, but one now has the opportunity to live in the social status they wish to

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