The Midwest is an important setting in this novel because it sets up the contrast to the rich who live in East Egg. Those in the East Egg are so destructive and self-involved that they leave everything behind them whenever it suits their needs.
Nick, the narrator of the novel, is from the Midwest. He has the morals and values of those who work for their money and live well, but he has a conservative side about his. Nick is a fair man, he is for the most part an innocent person, and he doesn't have the sophistication of those in the East Egg. His values are understood through his narration. He witnesses how Daisy treats others. She uses people, then discards them when she's done. Without his contrasting morals, the reader wouldn't be able to see how corrupt the East Egg people really are. So, yes, Fitzgerald put the Midwest in there for a reason. It's very essential to the story line. It's also where the "hero" of the story is from. Jay Gatsby is from the Midwest, even though he ends up in the category of the West Egg people. He began in the Midwest.
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