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What Does The West Egg Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald portrays the decline of the American Dream during the 1920s. By Fitzgerald's symbolism of the discriminatory treatment towards the people with “new” money, the conditions of Gatsby’s house, and the green light, the American Dream is shown as a failure based off of the desires and goals of Gatsby. The most noticeable symbolism of the failure of the American Dream is where the people reside. Those living in East Egg represent aristocracy while those living in the West Egg represent the flashy lifestyle of those that are considered “new” money. The large gap between the people with “old” money and “new” money, the people born wealthy and the people who made their money from hard work, gives evidence towards the harsh reality of the American Dream. Significantly, there is also the setting of the Valley of Ashes, a midpoint between East and West Egg that symbolises what lies beneath the falsehoods of both Eggs. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, residents of East Egg and considered “old” money, appear as the perfect couple on the outside. In reality, Tom and Daisy both have affairs on the side. Tom goes to the Valley of Ashes to …show more content…

The color green symbolizes rebirth and a new life. The first time this light is introduced is when Nick tells of the first time he met Gatsby. Gatsby was stretching his arms towards a green light that was seemingly impossible to reach. As Gatsby never achieved his goal of getting Daisy, this light proves impossible to reach. When Gatsby is reintroduced to Daisy, her different mannerisms and personality cause his dream of Daisy to evaporate. Overtime, Gatsby fell in love with the thought of Daisy and the way he envisioned her rather than what Daisy actually was like. The once symbolic green light turns into a symbol for all the American people regarding the impossibility of achieving the American

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Finally at the end of the passage Nick describes the West Egg by comparing it to one of the Greco’s painting. Nick says “I see it as a night scene by El Greco: a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen overhanging sky and lustreless moon.” When looking at the painting, there is a wealthy city with grand buildings and houses on top of a hill, but behind the buildings there is a dark cloud. The dark cloud symbolizes the hidden secrets and lies behind the wealth and riches in the West. By Nick comparing the West Egg to a painting instead of describing it through his own experiences, it suggest that he doesn’t want to be associated with the West Egg and wants to distance himself from there.

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