In The Great Gatsby, almost all of the characters are separated into West Egg and East Egg, symbolizing new money and old money, respectively. In spite of both sides being filled with the absurdly rich, many of the characters prefer East Egg and think of those residing in the West as inferior. When compared to the notorious Valley of Ashes, a land deemed inhabitable and depraved, West Egg is the epitome of luxury. The separation of different wealth and the poor seems to be an obvious jab at greed and classism, which is almost necessary when striving for the so-called ‘American dream’ Fitzgerald wrote about. Such a critique of capitalism overlaps with the concepts developed by Karl Marx and manifests themselves into the roles of the novel’s main …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby.
Jay Gatsby is a figure whom many of the novel’s characters incessantly idolize. Though they shower him with praise (mostly for the items he owns, not the man himself), Gatsby is shrouded in mystery. All talks of the recluse as a man and not a millionaire have to do with senseless gossip, such as how Lucille, a woman from one of Gatsby’s many parties, rumors “it’s more that he was a German spy during the war” (44) or how he was even said to have killed somebody. A part of this must be due to the fact Gatsby himself eludes his colorful guests and instead watches them as they lose themselves further into the night. Only when the topic mentions the lovely Daisy Buchanan is Gatsby ever compelled to bring something more to the discussion other than his neverending gaze. Even so, his attempts to impress his paramour all revolve around his endless