Tom and Daisy Buchanan have recently relocated from Chicago.
Early in The Great Gatsby, Nick visits the Buchanans at their mansion in East Egg. He learns that the couple has moved from Chicago to Long Island, settling among the wealthy residents of the fictional East Egg. Their new home is directly across the bay from Gatsby’s estate in West Egg.
The move reinforces the Buchanans’ social position. Tom and Daisy belong to the established wealthy class, and their mansion, servants, polo interests, and connections reflect the privilege associated with the novel’s “old money” world. Chicago also connects them to the American Midwest, a region important to the novel’s background.
Readers sometimes confuse Chicago with Louisville, Kentucky, because Daisy grew up there and Gatsby first met her in Louisville. Tom and Daisy’s residence is also distinct from Nick’s: Nick comes from the Midwest but rents a small house in West Egg, while the Buchanans occupy a grand East Egg mansion.