Why does Jordan prefer West Egg to East Egg?
Here's a little secret from the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" that may cause you to spill your gin rickey: Jordan Baker, the glamorous golf champion, prefers West Egg to East Egg. Shocking, I know. Please, regain your composure and take a seat. Let's dive into this juicy tidbit, shall we?
In the novel, Fitzgerald draws a clear line between East Egg and West Egg. East Egg is home to the old money crowd, those born with a silver spoon and an unyielding sense of entitlement. West Egg, on the other hand, houses the nouveau riche, folks who, through sheer determination or sheer luck, have amassed fortunes in the blink of an eye. They're the garage owners, the bootleggers, and the Gatsbys of the world.
Now, Jordan Baker, like any self-respecting 1920s socialite, should be all about the East Egg vibe, right? Wrong. Our dear Jordan finds old money dreadfully boring. Can you blame her? I mean, who wants to attend another tiresome dinner party with the same old people droning on about their Mayflower ancestors and their latest European vacation? There's only so much one can take of cucumber sandwiches and polite conversation.
Jordan, a woman of discerning taste, craves the excitement that new money brings. West Egg is where the action is, folks. It's a land of lavish parties with orchestras and champagne fountains, where people are prone to spontaneous dancing and reckless abandon. West Egg is the embodiment of the Roaring Twenties, a time of wild excess and debauchery – and Jordan Baker is here for it.
In West Egg, the newly rich are desperate to prove themselves, to show off their wealth and success. They're willing to take risks and bend the rules, if not outright break them. Old money, however, is too busy being, well, old. They're content to sit in their stately mansions, sipping their whiskey sours, and looking down on the vulgar antics of the nouveau riche. It's as if they're saying, "Oh, you have a gold-plated toilet? How quaint. We have a centuries-old tapestry depicting our ancestors defeating dragons." Snore.
Let's not forget Jordan's own background. She's no stranger to the world of old money, hailing from a well-to-do family herself. But our girl Jordan is a professional athlete – a risk-taker by nature. She's carved out her own success in a male-dominated sport, defying societal expectations. It's no wonder she finds herself drawn to the daring, rule-breaking atmosphere of West Egg.