In `The Great Gatsby' Fitzgerald uses location extremely successfully to establish trends (morally and behaviourally) between the different `factions' that play a role in Gatsby's story. There are two main locations that become evidently important in the story, these are East Egg and West Egg of Long Island, but there are also others that play just as an important role, West America, East America, Manhattan and the Valley of Ashes.

One very important difference to look at is the difference in behaviour and mindset between the people from West America (i.e. Nick) and the people from East America (i.e. Tom Buchannan). This helps to understand the different moral values between Nick Carraway and the residents of East Egg (i.e. Tom Buchannan). The people from West America are extremely moral, they believe in things that are just and proper, they firmly believe in Christian values such...