Jay Gatsby’s house is a symbol of the American Dream. It represents how if you work hard, you can achieve anything that you wish for. The American Dream can be portrayed in many different ways and is the product of perspective. Having the perfect house, pool, garden, and family is all a matter of the ideal American dream. It is not the reality of life, but neither is Gatsby. The American dream is all a matter of perspective, the way that you look at the world and how you perceive others. The “fortress” like feature of his house shows how he likes to shield his upbringing with the lavish parties and an expensive place of residence to appear wealthy. His ongoing parties show his skill in concealing the past, he finds the need to have people around him all the time, to further strengthen his illusion of wealth. Moreover, the vivid descriptions of Gatsby’s surroundings are used to show the power over people’s minds that he has acquired over the years, how his illusion has entered the minds of the people around him. When Gatsby dies his house is stripped of all of his possessions. His possessions are part of the illusion, the removal of them symbolize how Gatsby’s persona has fallen apart after his death, the truth finally revealed to society. The empty house symbolizes the death of Gatsby’s dream, the falling apart of his illusion, and his fall from grace. Nick sees the American Dream for what it really is, although he comes from old money, he is living in West Egg in a not so elaborate house, wedged between two large mansions, one belonging to Gatsby. This shows how the New Money is literally “compressing” old money society. Although Nick does not display the same attitude as most West Eggers, he does originate from the same world and possesses naivety just as the old money society does. Nick sees the reality of the American Dream and his house represents the fate of Old Money society, that one day it will die out and new money will replace it, family dynasties do not go on forever and one-day-old money will be a small wedge in society just like Nick’s house that continues to get smaller with every generation. Nick’s house also shows how everyone is the same in life, we all possess the same rights. The American dream is all a matter of perspective, the way that you look at the world and how you perceive others. Nick, although from old money has chosen to live in West Egg, “the less fashionable of the two” because his American dream is different in that he does not value wealth as much as the other characters. Nick’s house is also used to show how he fits into society as a “small eyesore”. He does not quite fit into the world of old or new money and the stature and location of his house supports this fact.
Wilson’s Garage reveals the truth about American society. Those who are not born into riches are thrust aside. Wilson’s garage represents the moral and social decay of American society in the 1920s, no matter how hard you work, your aspirations will never be attained. As the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure, the poor are left to deal with the consequences of their actions. Wilson’s garage is located in the valley of ashes, an isolated area between West Egg and New York “where ashes grow like wheat” and “take the form of houses”. Wilson and Myrtle the inhabitants of the garage are struggling just to get by. Wilson’s garage and the Valley of Ashes are both the product of the East Egg way of life. They buy and take what they want, and when they are through with it, they dump it. It is no longer useful, so they simply leave it behind. Wilson’s garage is like that. Tom uses Myrtle for his own selfish needs, then dumps her/leaves her dead body behind when she’s hit by the car. Because of the way that George and Myrtle are treated, they have been isolated by society. They are only needed for one thing in the upper-class pursuit of wealth, and then they are left behind to the “ashes”. George works on cars and offers gas to bypassing cars on their way to/from New York City, while Myrtle acts as Tom’s mistress for a short while. Both are left behind since the Valley of Ashes sits out in the middle of nowhere, and people only pass by taking what they need and leaving. Although Wilson is a hard working character just like Gatsby, his innocence and morality prevents hims from getting ahead in Capitalist America. Tom and Daisy’s house represents old aristocracy and families with along tradition of inheriting wealth from other family members. Tom and Daisy are ignorant, forceful, disillusioned, narrow minded, wealthy, and captivating people. Their “red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion” represents how deeply influenced they are by society, and their inability to break off from the standards that society sets for the upper class. The “elaborateness” of their home gives off a sense of wealth, comfort and pride, the same feelings that Tom Buchanan feels for himself. They move to East Egg because its in their upbringing to seek livelihood and and “extravagant” lifestyle that blinds them from the problems that the rest of society has to cope with, leaving them only to see superficiality. Moreover, the houses infrastructure reveals the stiff relationship shared between Tom and Daisy, that is based on wealth. It is made quite apparent by Fitzgerald that there are complications and difficulties in Tom and Daisy’s marriage that makes them unable to love each-other, so the house is used to mask these imperfections. The sterile white interior represents innocence, perfection, and purity and is used to create an aura of perfection, that masks the relationship of Tom and Daisy behind lavishness. Old money is corrupt and Tom and Daisy’s mansion is used to further strengthen this claim.
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