The 1920’s were a time of great change and revolution. Many immigrants arrived from their foreign lands in search for the same goal as any other immigrant at the time, the American Dream. Stories told of immigrants coming with nothing, eventually to find their dreams come true sparked around every corner, and many too, wanted to be a part of the great influx of dreams come true. At least, that was the ideal situation. The Valley of Ashes describes the hopelessness and poverty that many faced throughout the decade of the 20s. It is described as “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat…where ashes take the forms of houses… of men who move dimly… already crumbling through the powdery air.” The description shows heavy contrast from the mansions …show more content…
Eckleburg. The blue eyes, “dimmed by paint less days of sun and ran”, hang over what is described as a dumping ground. Nick states that the billboard was advertising to increase patients in the borough of Queens, but due to the nature and scenery of the Valley, it’s unlikely that ever happened. Fitzgerald’s inclusion of the valley of ashes is an important inclusion. The major theme of the Great Gatsby is wealth, and in order to truly observe the concept, it must be seen from both sides and angles. To see the story from only the side of the rich would give an ideal and biased look into the roaring twenties, and things are never ideal in the world, for there is always poverty and suffering. His theme of the pursuit of wealth is shown early as to quickly show the reader the corruption that money could have on a person, leading them to take large risks that they wouldn’t otherwise take. When looking at Nick describing the valley of ashes, we can learn that he is not used to the environment. His use of words like “foul”, desolate”, “ghastly”, and “bleak” show that his doesn’t particularly enjoy the place, but doesn’t go out of his way to go forth and tell the reader that the Valley of Ashes is a disgusting place. He’s very careful with his words, showing the reader that he does, indeed, take his father’s advice
Chapter one There were many important parts about chapter one. I think that the green light drove the plot the most though. It also had a connection with Gatsby's desire and symbolized it. In the beginning of the book Nick began describing himself.
Another important motif that has an interesting signification would be the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is the depressing industrial area that is between the West Egg and New York City. This region is covered in dust and ash caused by the nearby factories. In the movie, Nick and other characters travels through and passes by the Valley of Ashes. While there is business and excitement in Manhattan, and there are ridiculous extravagancies in the West and East Egg, the Valley of Ashes would be a place that shows the darker side of the surrounding glamour.
The valley of ashes is where the ashes are dumped after large heaps of material are burned. It is a wasteland of sorts and is very dirty and unwanted. It looks similar to a fictional fallout type world. It portrays the lower class area and while in the valley of ash you notice the poverty that exist there. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg can be seen on a billboard looking over the haunting area.
Father Wasteland The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains a vast amount of profound symbolism. From all the distinct colors to the Valley of Ashes. There is the green light, which Gatsby can only come close to grasping. Then there’s the hellish Valley of Ashes where hopes and dreams go to stare into the face of death, and slowly dissipate over time, until there’s nothing left except a lust for more out of life.
The total amount of immigrants during the 1920s was 4,295,510. These immigrants came from Germany, Britain, Ireland, Italy, Australia, France, Poland, and Canada Some people from other countries moved her because of our nation 's title “the Golden Land” or to live the “American Dream.” Here in America we have many opportunities such as land, jobs, money, crops, learning abilities, and of course freedom. “ In Europe, there had been a disease which killed nearly two million people and had caused famine. ”(nguyeh 1)
This location shows how the aspiration has been perverted into something terribly dark and sinister. This is the desire of wealth at any price and also the ideal that cash will cause you to happy. “This is a depression of ashes- a fantastic farm wherever ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke…” (Pg. 26). this quote shows the results of the fashionable materialistic society of new york.
Have you ever been through an impoverished area of a city? In the passage this is exactly what Fitzgerald is doing. He gives the reader the setting of the valley of ashes that can be seen in major cities today. He further describes many of the side effects that come with this decay. Therefore, In this passage in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various literary elements to demonstrate the side effects that come with decay of an area.
Fitzgerald uses personification and imagery to convey that the Valley of Ashes is a polluted area filled with ashes and dusts. It is also where many of the less fortunate, lower-class citizens live and work in the society. A literary device Fitzgerald uses is personification as he describes the motion of the cars driving through the place. He mentions, “Occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest…” (Fitzgerald, 23).
1. The Valley of Ashes is the farm land or almost like a wasteland filled with ashes that separates the wealth of the East and West Egg Village. 2. “The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic — their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose” (Fitzgerald 23).
The Valley of Ashes, and its description at the beginning of Chapter 2, is Fitzgerald's way of describing the poor section of the city. This immediately follows Nick's dinner party with Tom, Daisy and Miss Baker in East Egg, an upper class area. There is a stark contrast between Gatsby, Tom and Daisy's world of East Egg and George and Myrtle Wilson's poorer world, dubbed by
Fitzgerald uses myriad symbols such as a valley of ashes, a billboard, and a green light across the bay from Gatsby’s mansion, to convey his themes and influence the plot. A valley of ashes is used to convey the theme of the inequality of wealth that was so widespread in the 1920s. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, and Nick Carroway go on a drive to visit Tom’s mistress. Myrtle lives in an apartment above her husband’s workshop, in the coal and ash covered mining town on the outskirts of New York City. Fitzgerald, in narrator Nick
The American dream states that any individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, and/or religion simply by working hard. The 1920’s were a time of corruption and demise of moral values in society. The first World War had passed, and people were reveling in the materialism that came at the end of it, such as advanced technology and innovative inventions. The novel The Great Gatsby exploits the theme of the American Dream as it takes place in a corrupt period in history. Although the American Dream seemed more attainable than ever in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby demonstrates how materialism and the demise of moral values in society leads to the corruption and impossibility of the American Dream.
The valley of ashes also symbolizes the difficulties of the poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result. THE EYES OF DOCTOR T. J. ECKLEBURG Another dominant symbol within this novel is the billboard eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg which is in the middle of the valley of ashes, right next to Wilson’s garage staring at the waste that careless capitalism has
It also serves to portray the materialistic society that surrounds them (The Colors of Society - Camouflaged Discontent).” The characters portray such class and wealth along with fake happiness. The Valley of Ashes looks at how they feel on the inside which Daisy and Gatsby both ooze with discontent with how they’ve made decisions and how their lives did not turn out how they dreamed. Next, at one of Gatsby’s many house parties Nick makes a list of “grey names, and they will give you a better impression than [Nick’s] generalities (Fitzgerald 61).”
The poems Childhood, by Margaret Walker, Father, by Edgar Albert Guest, and History Lesson,by Natasha Trethewey, all contain a similar aspect, which is that the narrators are looking back on parts of their childhood and remembering how their lives were never perfect. Childhood’s narrator looks back on a past where everyone around them was poor and generally had to mine to survive. We know this because of the first 6 lines, talking about the red miners. We also know that it was a rural area, given the 7th and 8th lines. Such a past seems pretty bleak for everyone who lived there.