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Wealth In The Great Gatsby

751 Words4 Pages

Scarlett Morton
Mrs. Fenlon
Honors English III
28 March 2023
The Hollowness of the Wealthy The Great Gatsby takes place in Long Island, New York, focusing on two parts: East and West Egg. East Egg represents old money that has been inherited through generations. Tom and Daisy Buchanan live there and fit the description perfectly. West Egg represents new money. The people who live there have worked for their money. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is a millionaire who lives in a luxurious mansion, next to his neighbor, Nick Carraway (the narrator), on West Egg. Gatsby earned his money through bootlegging and other suspicious means that are never quite brought up. Gatsby represents the hollowness of the wealthy by throwing lavish parties, obsessing over material possessions, and caring very little about other’s feelings. Each weekend, Gatsby throws elaborate parties that start on Friday and go into Monday mornings. To get ready for these parties, Gatsby spares no expense. He has countless amounts of food and liquor served, and the people that go to his parties have never even met him. After the party is over, “on Mondays …show more content…

He rarely speaks about his early life, and no one knows if what he says is the truth. People are often suspicious of his stories and tend to question his past. In multiple situations Gatsby has manipulated things to go his way, no matter the consequences. For example, Gatsby had Nick invite Daisy over for tea so he could be there. He used Nick to get to Daisy. Abby Werlock talks about The Great Gatsby in her article “Overview Analysis of The Great Gatsby”. She emphasizes the point that Gatsby “lies about his education and cannot tell the truth about the shady sources of his wealth” (Werlock 3). Gatsby gained his riches through lies and manipulation, along with other devious ways. Gatsby has no care for others and does what he wants to get to the

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