Question

Read the excerpt from Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard—it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby’s mansion.

How does Fitzgerald use setting in the exposition of this passage?
He underscores the cultural differences between West Egg and East Egg.
He introduces the reader to the themes of jealousy and undying love.
He suggests that Gatsby is sophisticated and very wealthy.
He creates atmosphere and establishes geographic context.

Answer 1

He creates atmosphere and establishes geographic context.

Explanation: The description locates Nick’s house ("tip of the egg," "fifty yards from the Sound") and paints an atmospheric picture of wealth and extravagance (the Normandy imitation, marble pool, acres of lawn), setting up the novel’s social and physical landscape.