Midwest-East Coast Dynamic

[Patrick]

One thing that I think goes underdiscussed in regards to this text is the difference between the Midwest where Carraway is from and New York, where everyone else is from. Many people kind of view Carraway as just a narrator with little depth, but I think understanding the differences between these two regions might shed some light on his character.

As a Wisconsinite who moved to New York, I feel like I can really connect to Carraway although it's in a way that is difficult to describe. I'm curious if anyone else had similar feelings?

[Stephen]

James wrote: "The virtuous Midwest in contrast with the decadent East Coast is a very common, very well-established theme in American literature. ..."

Being from Michigan I'm not sure whether my opinion will count in this regard but I think that virtuous is probably the wrong word choice. I think the stereotype (and arising from truth) is unspoiled, innocent, or more accurately, uninformed.

I know that my own rural midwestern upbringing was much more sheltered than my contemporaries who were brought up in a more cosmopolitan environment.

But one virtue of that type of upbringing is that we tend to notice things that more jaded palates tend to let go unnoticed (probably out of familiarity) I know that one way that manifests in me is that I tend to notice regional accents more than those that grew up with them and I even tend to emulate them some (perhaps out of an unconscious desire to fit in) Part of the poignancy of the Great Gatsby was Nick's blending into his milieu.

[Geoffrey]

Another reason for which I faulted the novel. FitzGerald, himself, I suspect adheres to the myth. Nick certainly does. How naive of both. FitzGerald should have read THE JUNGLE before making any decisions on the Midwest`s charácter superiority.

[Holly]

Stephen wrote: "James wrote: "The virtuous Midwest in contrast with the decadent East Coast is a very common, very well-established theme in American literature. ..."

Being from Michigan I'm not sure whether my o..."

Stephen I was born & raised in Michigan as well, moved east to attend NYU in the mid '80's. I had already read The Great Gatsby several times by then, and expected a Nick Carraway style adventure. Given the time frame, it was more Sid & Nancy than Great Gatsby, but a worthwhile experience just the same.

I'm not sure that Fitzgerald thought that Midwesterners were more virtuous, but he rightly thought that they were more naive than East Coast natives.

[Lara]

Don't forget that Daisy was from Kentucky and Gatsby from North Dakota...not New York. I think there is no superiority in Carraway at all. He is a character with depth, but as the narrator, we assume his point of view which makes him seem authoritative. But since the other characters are not native New Yorkers either, perhaps it is the big city itself that contributes to the tragedy...those from elsewhere unable to deal with all it has to offer.

[Geoffrey]

Nick Carraway with depth. Yes,in comparison to the rest of the bunch, but not on my graded scale. He tosses the Parker woman over because why, none of his reasons are legitimate, does he really give any...and oh yes, he had a fling with a chick in the office but backed off when he felt threatened by her brother. Of course it was but a fling, nothing serious, not much depth there either.

After he tosses the Parker woman he revises his estimation of her character. Suddenly she`s got a hard cynical face. What did he think of her before he got involved? Didn`t he know her character? And if she was so cynical why would she have arranged for the Daisy-Gatsby meeting? No, she`s a helpless romantic, not as delusioned as Gatsby by any means but sufficiently impressed with Gatsby`s "true love" that she goes out of her way to arrange for the two to meet. But does Nick give her any credit for that...no he`s a bit heartless when it comes to that and only forgives murderers who beg for his friendship a la Tom Buchanan at the end. Depth, my butt. He`s almost as slimey as the rest.

[Geoffrey]

The others were not from big cities but from small towns in the Midwest. There are cosmopolitan cities in the midwest with as much corruption, heedless ambition, unscrupolous behavior as NYC. One need only to read THE JUNGLE by Upton Sinclair, or BABBIT by Sinclair Lewis, to get the drift.

[Marcy]

But all the main characters in Gatsby, like Fitzgerald himself, have moved from the midwest to the east, toward old money? toward Europe? toward the past?

How about: Adventure, excitement, stimulation, opportunity, intellectual development, experience, knowledge, wisdom.

As you can tell I'm from the East Coast, or as I like to put it: I'm stuck in California with the New York blues again.

[Stephen]

Marcy wrote: "...I'm stuck in California with the New York blues again. "

Or as Neil Diamond put it... "L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCcaP5...

[Marcy]

Stephen do you recognize my quote--it is from a Dylan song, miles above Neil Diamond. Plus I'm not in LA.

[Stephen]

Dylan Thomas wrote songs too? I thought he just drank a lot! At least my quote had the states right! Memphis? It's got the derogatory Mmph built right in. Simple as Bob's your uncle.

[Marcy]

It's got the derogatory Mmph built right in. Simple as Bob's your uncle.


I don't even know wtf you're talking about!