European society had suffered spiritually from the effects of World War I, yet life in America became a time of material demand. The twenties are best known as a decade when American business was riding high and increases in productivity brought hundreds of new products within the reach of the average consumer. The widespread impact of the stock market downturn heightened the popular view of the importance of the economy during the 1920's. Americans perceived business as the source of this new good life; thus, materialism grew. The fact that The Great Gatsby takes place during the actual life of Scott Fitzgerald is very significant to the story because in his world, the setting reveals the nature of the characters. Much of the story is described about the West Egg and East Egg, two distinct locations of Long Island. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the primary examples of the stable upper class, live in the wealthiest area of Long Island: East Egg. They are satisfied with their inherited traditions and long-term financial situation. Tom and Daisy lack the tastelessness that Gatsby is characteristic of. Jay Gatsby and Nick are residents of West Egg; both have acquired wealth in their lives yet do not have the sheer intelligence associated with prosperity. If looked at from a moral perspective, East Egg and West Egg both carry a kind of individual fault, whether it is rudeness or emptiness. New York City, home of the apartment of Tom's mistress and the Plaza Hotel, is where money is made and where pleasure is gained. Parties and social events take place there. The story also occurs in the home of Gatsby, a place that circulates a cycle of guests. The house is both meaningless and bland, almost an illusion created by money. In general, the setting is directly related to the main theme of the story: the American dream, in the sense that each character, based on their residence, tries to prevail themselves greatly into the faux realm of riches. III....
