Scott Fitzgerald modeled East and West Egg on Long Island. He and his wife Zelda lived in the town of Great Neck early in their marriage.

What does West Egg represent in Gatsby?

He refers to new money as west egg as a way to promote the new America that was formed by the frontier. People fled west in hopes of making it rich whether it be in the workplace, finding land, or striking gold during the gold rush. The west represents the new form of wealth, while the east represents old money.

What is West Egg associated with?

While both East and West Egg are wealthy communities, families with inherited wealth, or “old money,” live in the more fashionable East Egg. In West Egg, by contrast, residents whose wealth is new, like Gatsby, conspicuously mimic European aristocracy to appear established.