The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel about Jay Gatsby and his unrequited love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. The Valley of Ashes, which is located between West Egg and New York City, is a symbol of the moral and social decay that was occurring in America during the 1920s. The ashes represent the hopelessness and despair that many people felt during this time period. The Valley of Ashes also represents the class conflict that was present in society.
The poor people who lived in the valley were constantly being exploited by the rich. The Great Gatsby is a story that highlights the superficiality of the American dream. The dream is something that can never be attained because it is based on materialism and greed. The valley of ashes is a symbol of the emptiness of the American dream.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has become a literary classic represenative of the 1900s. This book is set in the 1920s and takes place primarily on Long Island Sound and in New York City. There is also a specific location known as the valley of ashes which lies between West Egg and New York City; this area contrasts sharply with East/West Egg due to its poverty-ridden residents who are looked down upon by society at large in much the same way that actual ashes are disregarded.
The valley is a grey and dreary place, and it is said to represent the moral and social decay of America during the 1920’s. The ashes in the valley are also symbolic of the fact that these people have been forgotten and are no longer important to society.
The only character who lives in the valley of ashes is George Wilson, whose wife Myrtle is having an affair with Tom Buchanan. The Wilsons symbolize the failure of the American dream, as they are poor and have no hope of ever escaping their situation. The valley of ashes is thus a symbol of both the moral and social decline of America, as well as the failure of the American dream.
The Valley of Ashes is a symbol of the emptiness and despair that come with chasing the American Dream. The alley of ashes, with its brooding eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg,, its grey and dreary backdrop and its contrast to East and West Egg, uses various forms of symbolism to represent this idea. Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism gives the novel a timeless appeal and saves it from becoming just another period piece
The valley of ashes is a place where the American dream has died. It is here that George Wilson lives in a small, rundown house with his wife Myrtle. The couple is trapped in a loveless marriage, and their only escape is through alcohol. The valley of ashes is also home to the ashes of the city’s industries. The factories and businesses that have sprung up in the city have left behind a trail of destruction. The valley of ashes symbolizes the moral decay of America. The people who live here are trapped in a cycle of poverty and despair.
They have no hope of ever escaping their situation. The valley of ashes is also symbolic of the blindness of the American people. They are so caught up in their own lives that they do not see the suffering of others. The valley of ashes is a place of death and despair, but it is also a place of hope. The people who live here have not given up hope. They are still hoping for a better life. The valley of ashes is a symbol of the human capacity for hope in the face of adversity.
In the valley of ashes, towering over everything else, is a billboard with an ad for an optometrist. “The eyes of Doctor T J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look out from behind a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which sit on top of an invisible nose.” ( Fitzgerald 26) In this novel these behemoth eyes symbolize God, or more accurately a dead God that watches idly while we destroy everything around us.
The valley of ashes is a place where people have no hope, they are stuck in this desolate and dark place. The only thing that they can see is the advertisement for an optometrist, which mocks them because it is something that they cannot have. The people in the valley live in poverty and they are constantly being trodden on by those who are successful.
The valley of ashes is a symbol for the moral decay of society. The people who live there are forgotten and their lives have no meaning. They exist in a state of limbo, neither alive nor dead. The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg represent the judgement of God, or the lack thereof. The fact that they are blue represents how cold and distant God seems to be.
As a continual representation of society’s deteriorating morality, they silently observe without ever providing direction or solace. Even today, this theme is still quite prevalent. There appears to be a decline in the number of people who believe in any form of higher power, and those that do see God as someone who destroys rather than saves. The concept of a dead deity is rampant throughout our culture. There’s so much destruction, wastefulness and corruption that it seems almost as if God himself is an emotionless being presiding “over a solemn dumping ground.” (Fitzgerald 26)
The Valley of Ashes is a place where people have lost all hope. They are living in squalor and their lives have no meaning. The only thing that they can do is to keep on existing, day after day, in this horrible place. The symbolism of the Valley of Ashes serves to remind us that even though we may have everything that we want materially, our lives can still be empty and without purpose.
It is only when we find meaning and significance in our lives that we can truly be happy. Materialism is another theme that is explored in The Great Gatsby. This is the idea that people are defined by their possessions and that happiness comes from acquiring more and more things. The character of Jay Gatsby embodies this idea.