Question

My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires all for eighty dollars a month.Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water, and the history of the summer really begins on the evening I drove over there. What message do phrases such as 'the consoling proximity of millionaires' and 'white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered' convey to the reader?

Answer 1

Answer:

It suggests that the narrator considers financial wealth as desirable for him.

Explanation:

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" is about the lives of people living in two ends of the town, East Egg and West Egg. While one side represents all the wealth and good of people, the other side consists of those lesser wealthy people who try to live alongside the wealthier ones.

The passage provided in the question are from the first chapter of the text where Nick Carraway provides an introduction into the world of the 'new rich' West Egg in comparison to that of the already wealthy part East Egg. He states that his house was an eyesore but it also provides a "consoling proximity" to the "white palaces of fashionable East Egg". To him, being within view of this 'better' part of the town is still a good factor, for it made him feel as if he is also a part of that side of town. The use of the phrases all seem to show the desire of Nick about financial wealth and the effects it can have on the person, giving him a better, desirable position in life. He considers wealth as a driving factor for one's situation in life.

Answer 2

Answer:

The message that these phrases convey to the reader is that financial wealth is desirable to the narrator.

Explanation:

This is evidenced when the narrator expresses that the proximity of the millionaires was recomforting or "consoling" for him. This confirms that financial wealth was pleasing for him. Also, when the narrator expresses that the "white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered". The word "glittered" adds a positive connotation of the palaces and explains the fact that he admired them.