Final answer:
The people of East Egg in 'The Great Gatsby' are characterized by their old money and traditional social status, contrasting with West Egg's self-made wealthy residents symbolizing aspiration and the pursuit of the American Dream. New York City represents a space of moral ambiguity and social fluidity. These settings underscore the cultural themes of the Roaring Twenties, including class distinctions and the American Dream.
Step-by-step explanation:
The differences between the people of East Egg and those of other locations in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, such as West Egg and New York City, are not just of geographic significance but also indicative of deeper social and cultural divides. Residents of East Egg, like Tom and Daisy Buchanan, are characterized by their old money aristocracy and entrenched social status.
They often display a sense of inherited superiority and a penchant for maintaining established social hierarchies. On the other hand, the denizens of West Egg, such as Jay Gatsby, represent the newly rich or those who have accumulated their wealth within their own lifetimes. Gatsby's opulent mansion and lavish parties symbolize his attempts to break into the East Egg society. Here, the color green represents not only his hope and yearning for acceptance by Daisy but also his aspiration to East Egg's social echelon.
Moreover, New York City in the novel serves as the playground for the characters' hedonistic pursuits, representing a place of moral and social ambiguity, far from the rigid class distinctions of East and West Egg. The perceived characteristics of these regions reflect the broader cultural themes of the Roaring Twenties, where the pursuit of the American Dream, societal norms, and the stark contrast between tradition and change are constantly examined.