The setting of the Great Gatsby is one of the most influential components of the novel. Perhaps the most significant locations in the novel are the Eggs of the West and the East. In the story, the eggs are described by Nick, the narrator, as “…a pair of enormous eggs, identical in outline and separated only by a courtesy crack” (Fitzgerald 9). However, the appearance of the two eggs is almost all they have in common, as Nick points out when he says: "To those who are wingless, a most striking phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size" ( Fitzgerald 9). As the story progresses, differences between the two eggs begin to emerge, but there is always a faint commonality between the two. The setting influences the events of the story and the characters that collide depending on where the scene takes place and what area each character is from, influencing the characters' current attitudes, background, lifestyle, and values. The two main houses described in the eggs are Gatsby's and Buchanan's. Gatsby's house is described as "...a faithful imitation of the Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, brand new...and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden ” (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby's mansion is gaudy and is used as an attempt to gain Daisy's attention and affection. His home is the site of lavish parties where the inhabitants of both eggs gather. The parties at Gatsby's house last all night and many come and go, “…like moths among the whispers and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 43). Gatsby has dozens of cases of food, catering and orchestras delivered for his parties. These holidays, however, are not a rare occasion; He's been there for at least about two weeks. Li...... middle of paper ...... among their inhabitants, especially when Nick takes the reader to visit the homes of Jay Gatsby and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Eggs also serve to represent two contrasting types of wealth: newly acquired and inherited. Along with opposite types of wealth come opposite attitudes, which contribute greatly to the story. All the factors of the setting of The Great Gatsby greatly influence the events of the story and the characters that compose it. Work cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.