Valley of Ashes

The Valley of Ashes resembles something dark and lifeless. As a result of fire ashes stand for
destruction and death. Furthermore the death of Myrtle Wilson in the Valley of Ashes stands for
the pain associated with this valley. Also the fact that the Wilsons live in the valley shows that
they are not of such high social standards as the other characters in the novel. By having to pass
through the Valley of Ashes in order to get to New York, the other characters have to betake
themselves to this lower status.
When you group these two passages together it becomes very apparent that he is talking about
the eyes of God looking over the world, Nick describes it as a dumping ground. Not only can this
passage be seen as symbolizing the eyes of God but also as Nicks. He is the only one in the novel
who really knows what is going on. All other characters are influenced by every day life and are
not able to judge situations from their own perspective. They are all as blind as these eyes which
are just painted on a billboard. Because of Wilson's strong belief in God this poster is not just an
advertisement. It has a deep meaning to him. His view God sees everything (114,39) shows
how strongly he believes in God watching over him through the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. His
neighbor Michaelis makes fun of Wilson's faith and says about the billboard "that's an
advertisement".

In The Great Gatsby, the only element not restricted to one class is unhappiness.
All members of all classes are equally unhappy.

The Valley of The Ashes has a mythic quality. It is there to remind the readers of the
consequences of the excesses of the Jazz age. The dust is symbolic of the waste that is created by
the human pursuit of money and success. It could be seen as a religious reference to the Catholic
concept purgatory. (Fitzgerald grew up in a Catholic home) Purgatory was almost like a waiting
lounge, where souls would wait to either go to heaven or hell depending on the seriousness of
their sins. Can this relate to the novel? Here are some descriptions from the text: desolate area,
a fantastic (hard to imagine) farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and
grotesque gardens, ash grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery
air. (The lexis suggests decay and waste) The garage is introduced with the eyes of T.G Eckleburg
looming in the background. Is this foreshadowing that Toms affair is seen by some higher power?
The lead up to the arrival at the garage is very gradual and suggests a gradual departure from
civilization and a journey to the edge of the world. The garage is led up to by a trail of ashes
(metaphor) and is in a waste land (adjective and noun choice). Even the color yellow (color
symbolism) suggests decay. This impression is further developed as they enter the garage: The
interior was unprosperous and bare; the only car visible was the dust covered wreck of a Ford
which crouched in a dim corner. (Fitzgerald, p.27) The use of adjectives to describe the almost
empty garage and the personification of the dust covered Ford car brings to mind the theme of the
corruption of the American Dream. Ford could be seen as a sign of the strength of American
consumerism yet this Ford car is crouched and covered in dust therefore indicating that there is
a consequence of this greed and the benefits are certainly not available to the poor like Wilson,
who is only left with the scraps.

Desolate: There's a reason they called it the Lost Generation: the world Fitzgerald
lived in, and the world his characters inhabit, is one without connections, friends,
or family. People may come together in The Great Gatsby, but they always end up
falling apart in the end. Only Daisy and Tom stay together in the end, and is that
really togetherness?

the valley of ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long
stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. It
represents the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited
pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but
their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the
poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their
vitality as a result.