The Symbols of Location

The narrator of “The Great Gatsby,” Nick Carraway, describes the locations in the novel. East and West Egg, New York, are central locations as well as symbols for old wealth and new wealth. Locations are also symbols of morality. New York represents the fast-paced, youthful, free-wheeling behavior associated with the era. Nick Carraway’s point of origin, Minnesota, represents the old standard, the morally strong, and is a place of refuge. Nick came from Minnesota to New York and in the end returns to Minnesota.