Social Classes In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the setting to differentiate the social classes and divisions of the 1920’s in his novel The Great Gatsby. East Egg, West Egg, and New York City are among the most significant settings that exhibit the classes and the divisions between them. Throughought the novel, Fitzgerald consistently alludes that the residents of East Egg are wealthy, while the residents of West Egg are poor. He also displays that social classes are unable to mesh and will always be divided during the altercation at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The fist setting Fitzgerald uses to portray social classes is East Egg. These residents are known for their lavish homes, extravagant lifestyles, and exuberant wealth (which is almost always passed

Known as “the less fashionable of the two,” (page 5) West Egg represents the home of the middle class in the novel and America in the 1920’s. The locals from this area often have to work hard for the money that they earn in order to attempt to meet the status of the people across the bay. One of these locals would be Nick Carroway, a practical, middle class bondsman. He lives in a cheap eyesore of a home, but is content with it. Jay Gatsby is another resident of this egg, by he attempts to live a very different lifestyle from Nick. He lives in a home that looks like it belongs on the east side, and throws intricate parties within it every week. Despite his mansion, he will never be as elite as the East Eggers because he was born into poverty and had to work for his money just to become middle class. No matter how hard he tried to be like those across the bay, his social class is what is holding him back from achieving that next, higher level. This difference between earned wealth and given wealth represents the social division. The last setting that Fitzgerald uses to display social class divisions is New York City. New York City is used as a gathering place where social classes mesh attempt to mesh, such as when Nick and Gatsby Meet up with Meyer Wolfsheim for lunch. Nick, a middle class citizen, warmly greets Wolfsheim, but he, an upper class citizen, barely gives him the time of day. Here,