What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
The struggles Gatsby faces in The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald parallels Fitzgerald´s apparent ideas of the struggle of all Americans. One important symbol in this novel is the billboard of Doctor T.J Eckleburg. The billboard represents the eyes of God staring down on all the sinful Americans. Throughout the novel, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock symbolizes Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby reaches for this light which represents his dream to reunite with Daisy, however, he can never fully grasp it. Another important symbol Fitzgerald thoroughly portrays throughout his novel is the valley of ashes. The valley of ashes symbolizes the plight of the poor, who live along the dirty ashes. Fitzgerald deftly uses the …show more content…
George Wilson believes that Eckleburg's eyes on the billboard are God’s eyes. When he finds out about Myrtles affair he looks at Eckleburg's eyes and tells her that “she might fool me, but she could not fool God…”(Fitzgerald 167). This allows readers to interpret that God is always watching over them, and the billboard represents God’s eyes staring down on the sinful American society. It appeals to readers sense of fear that whenever they make a bad decision God will know. Throughout the story, God witnesses Tom's affair with Myrtle, George locking Myrtle in her room, and Daisy driving the car that kills Myrtle. Fitzgerald’s integration of the billboard allows him to thoroughly express the idea that God sees everything and this advances his plot as well as enhances the quality of the …show more content…
It is a valley in which the ashes of the rich are dumped upon. For example, Tom Buchanan is a rich man in the novel who has regard for nothing, but his own pleasure. He secretly has an affair with Myrtle Wilson, who is George Wilson’s wife. Once Wilson finds out about Myrtle’s affair he becomes weak and sick and locks her in her room. This shows that due to Tom Buchanan’s actions George Wilson, who lives among the dirty ashes of the rich, loses his vitality as a result. The valley of ashes is a representation of the moral and social decay that results from an individual’s quest for wealth. Throughout the novel, the rich people of East and West Egg indulge themselves with nothing but selfish pursuits. The valley of ashes successfully symbolizes the plight of the poor for people like George Wilson. Fitzgerald’s integration of the valley of ashes allows him to portray the effects social classes can have on society. This allows him to successfully enhance the quality of his
How Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
2771 Words | 12 PagesThe 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.
Rhetorical Analysis In The Great Gatsby
831 Words | 4 PagesThe author introduces the desolate land known as the valley of ashes, which is far from the lavish lives lived in the Eggs’. When introducing this dark and eerie slice of land, Fitzgerald incorporates imagery in helping develop his theme relating to the Roaring 20’s and the American Dream. Nick begins to explain the valley of ashes in discrete detail. “This is the 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…” ( 23). In this excerpt from the text, not only does Fitzgerald use many forms of imagery, but he incorporates diction that helps develop his theme as well as a simile.
What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
626 Words | 3 Pagesgrey cars. . . gives out a ghastly creak” (Fitzgerald 27). Another way that shows the Valley of Ashes is the bad part of the American Dream is how instead of growing something beautiful from nature there are “. . . farm[s] where ashes grow like wheat” (27).
Religion In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
1933 Words | 8 PagesHaving Gatsby’s death closely related to Jesus, while blasphemous in a way, shows his ties to his religion. He unconsciously used the imagery of the rose as a result of his previous experiences with Christianity. Another example of religious imagery is God’s all-seeing eyes on the Billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Furthermore, before the argument between Gatsby and Tom, the billboard is seen watching over them: “Over the ash heaps, the giant eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg kept their vigil.” (Fitzgerald 131).
What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
648 Words | 3 PagesMyrtle and Gatsby both exemplify this plummet back down to earth. Their bodies return to the ashes, truly becoming a part of the valley to help enforce what the valley represents: lost dreams of gold. The valley of ashes illustrates the hopelessness of achieving these dreams of gold, as they will eventually all end in ashes. By symbolizing the hopelessness of the Dream, the valley of ashes proves its
How Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
991 Words | 4 PagesFrom 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.
Examples Of Deception In The Great Gatsby
796 Words | 4 PagesMasks of Deception The Great Gatsby, written by Scott F. Fitzgerald, portrays the life of a man who is created by one person’s desired image. This man, James Gats, has created an alternative version of himself that meets the standards of a woman he is in love with; Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald’s purpose in displaying these characters is to show that a person may change everything about them in order to meet the standards of someone or something else. Fitzgerald conveys the effects of these characters through themes and symbols.
What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
430 Words | 2 Pages26) The Valley of Ashes is a "fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges, 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. "(pg. 26) The Valley of Ashes in an industrial wasteland covered in ash and soot were the poor people get caught between beautiful New York and the West Egg.
Use Of Personification In The Great Gatsby
297 Words | 2 PagesFitzgerald 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).
Rhetorical Analysis Of The Great Gatsby
864 Words | 4 Pages“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man 's needs, but not every man 's greed.” As humans, we work hard in order to have the greatest opportunity to succeed in life, which will fulfill our wants. F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, utilizes effective language and punctuation in the text, which helps him accomplish his purpose: Illustrate what material goods does to a society. From a rhetorical standpoint, examining logos, ethos, and pathos, this novel serves as a social commentary on how the pursuit of “The American Dream” causes the people in society to transform into greedy and heartless individuals.
Examples Of Hope In The Great Gatsby
1314 Words | 6 PagesIn the novel, the valley of ashes is symbolic of the American Dream because it represents the failures of society and mankind. When traveling back home, Nick often passes the valley of ashes and describes that, “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” (23). Even though Gatsby achieved the American Dream and became successful, his values were ultimately corrupted by his greed and wealth in order to entice Daisy. In comparison to the valley of ashes, Gatsby’s physical surroundings begin to have superficial values making him hollow similarly to the crumbling valley. The valley of ashes, also demonstrates the oppression of the poor who are forced to live in a such a world where only the wealthy thrive.
Homes In The Great Gatsby
1294 Words | 6 PagesIn literature and in real life, a person’s home can reveal fundamental truths about them. In The Great Gatsby however, the homes of the characters go far beyond that. They are not only the main settings of the novel but reflect the characters’ status in society as well as their desires, goals, and personalities. Through descriptions of the houses in the novel, the author can reveal things about the characters without needing to over describe the characters themselves, as well as foreshadow events in the plot. The house vary like the characters, representing their different classes and social statuses.
How Does Jay Fitzgerald Present Greed In The Great Gatsby
773 Words | 4 PagesFitzgerald 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 Facade Of The American Dream In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1034 Words | 5 PagesThroughout the story, Fitzgerald uses three vastly different geographical areas to show the separation between classes. The Valley of Ashes, where the poor live, is described as a “desolate area of land ... [where] spasms of bleak dust drift endlessly” (Fitzgerald 23). The poor people are trapped here, and no matter how hard they work, they can never escape this grim existence. The idea of no social mobility, and having no control over one's life, reflects the Naturalist view of society.
Values, Themes And Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
924 Words | 4 PagesThe 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
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