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The Valley Of Ashes Symbolism Analysis

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The color yellow symbolizes many deceitful ideas in the novel. As Nick is entering into the Valley of the Ashes, he acknowledges a billboard of an eye doctor and notes: “They look out no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles…” (23). T.J. Eckleburg is looked upon as a fake God. The billboard looks over the Valley of Ashes, implying that he is always watching. While reading, there seems to be a nonexistent reality of religion. Capitalism has taken its apparent toll in the societies of East and West Egg and God is now seen as advertisement for an eye doctor. Not only is the advertising deceitful, but all aspects of the East and West Egg societies are spurious. Upon entering the Valley of Ashes with Tom, they stop by a building and observes it’s “The only building in sight that was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land” (24). This “small block of yellow brick” is Wilson’s garage. His garage, along with the rest of The Valley of Ashes symbolizes the hidden moral depravity of the East Egg society. The Valley of Ashes …show more content…

As seen, yellow gives false reality to those who have no place in society. In the beginning of chapter three, Nick describes Gatsby’s car saying: “his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains” (39). Finding out that Gatsby would pick up people to attend and leave his party, he was much like a bus driver; he is transportation for all others who have no way of getting home. It is a way for him to show off the new wealth he has accumulated and becomes flashy. He wants to be just like the higher society and tries to mirror how he sees the higher society as. Gatsby’s wealth seems to benefit all others, except for Gatsby himself. The quote represents how all other flamboyant guests have a desire to enter into the high society, like Gatsby himself, but

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From the quote, “This is a Valley of Ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight” (23), it can be seen how the Valley of Ashes is a depressing place. It represents the moral and social decay that results from the continued search of wealth and acceptance in society. Seen by how the rich provide themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the forcefulness of the poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.

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Everybody wants to be the wealthy however the poor suffer lots as a result of the by-product of the capitalistic society. The by-product during this novel is the Valley of Ashes. This shows how individuals throw out regard for others in exchange of the pursuit to be wealthy (This is incredibly immoral). This is often believed to be the American Dream. On the opposite hand you have got extravagant parties at the Gatsby house simply to impress a lady.

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This quote shows how wealthy Gatsby is, how his success was becoming rich enough to own a mansion, to impress Daisy and to win her back. Daisy wanted Gatsby to become rich to impress her so he mad money illegally, this eventually led to a failure. Another example that shows

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1652 Words | 7 Pages

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“About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land.” This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes

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