"Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay." (page 11)
In this quote, the author is describing the setting of the story. However, the quote goes deeper than this. Yes, throughout the first chapters of the novel, Fitzgerald describes the setting of Nick's new town in great detail. However, the detail has much significance. For example, Nick describes his own house as "an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore and it had been overlooked..." (page 10). Nick later goes on to describe the Buchanon's home. I guess that it's not really a home; it's more like a mansion. These things are not just coincidental. There is reason behind it. Fitzgerald does this so the reader can be entranced by the status of the Buchanons. However, status is not everything. I'm getting the vibe that status is an important theme of the book. Everyone is so fascinated with their social status and how others view them. They care only about how much they spend to win others' affections. However, love does not come from money. Love comes from care. Themes in the book are paralleled by the settings in this story.
When you said "love does not come from money," it made me think of Daisy. Her problem is she is more worried about being with someone who will make her rich rather than someone she actually loves. For example, when Gatsby left for the war, it seemed she was very quick into marrying someone new and incredibly rich. Also, Gatsby has made it a point to have Daisy come and see his home. He probably knew that if she saw how incredibly wealthy he was, she would be more likely to take him back. This theory is proven when she is in his room and says "They're such beautiful shirts...it makes me said because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before." Daisy seems like a first-class gold-digger. She is never going to find true love because she is so focused on gaining wealth and money.
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