The Great Gatsby chunk 1, question 1

Q: How has the setting (time and place) been used in this chunk to develop an emotional effect on the readers?

[photo on the right] : an example of a
Georgian Mansion


Respond: F. Scott Fitzgerald dedicated a lot of time into focusing and well describing the setting of The Great Gatsby. Having read the first chapter, it opened my mind into seeing the wealth of each characters and how they are reflected into the setting of this novel.


The Buchanan's owned quite a high class home, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion that had its backyard reaching out for the beach. It had a beautiful interior and rare above the other houses surrounding it. As a reader, it is like a dream mansion. A place of peace and silent beauty, yet a sad piece of belonging. The description of this mansion makes me feel envy, but at the same time lucky enough to be living in a house that isn't as big. Tom and Daisy's mansion may have been enormous, but what more is the size when what's inside is nothing but shallowness. In my opinion, I think that the Fitzgerald focused on the details of the places in this novel so that the readers, as myself would understand what really matters. What is important is not the size of what we have, not the amount but what it contains. What matters is who we share it with and what good we come out of it.

Just like the mansion of Jay Gatsby, more colossal but similar to the Buchanan's. This home is also as empty.