Imaginary Locations

We all know what New York is. Many of us have even gone there in 8th grade. The setting of the new book we started in class this week, The Great Gatsby, is also in New York. The main character, Nick, lives in West Egg, a “slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York”. The next day, however, the class was presented with a shocking truth: East and West Egg don’t actually exist!

Since then, I have been wondering why the author decided to create an imaginary setting for the book, especially since West Egg is in New York, which is definitely a very real place. Why not just have Nick live in Manhattan? After some time, I have decided that this is actually an extremely clever choice. Because West Egg is a fake location in an actual US state, Fitzgerald can add in many realistic elements without having to worry too much about the fine details. For example, the author can include certain buildings and sights that match New York to develop his plot, but he doesn’t have to do extensive research to find an existing location that will work.

Furthermore, by utilizing this method, authors have no need to spend time creating an entirely new world or place. This allows readers to relate to the story more, and truly allows them to experience what they are reading. When iconic things like the Empire State Building are mentioned, readers know exactly what the author is referring to, which in turn creates an easier to follow and understand plotline.

While at first it was a bit confusing and unclear why Fitzgerald would have the setting be in New York but also in a fake town, now I realize that there are actually many benefits to doing so.