Similarities Between The World And The Great Gatsby

    Fitzgerald employs this section on the valley of ashes and Dr. T.J.Eckleburg?s billboard to criticize American society and values.  He is portraying the American habit of using up what is useful or has value and leaving the waste products behind.  His symbol is that the wood (valuable) was used to build a fire and then the ashes (waste products) were left behind.  The valley of ashes was once a flourishing town, but was used until it was no longer valuable and was thus abandoned (like ashes after all the wood has been burned).  Gatsby?s parties were also a form of social commentary in Fitzgerald?s The Great Gatsby.  Gatsby?s acquisition and disposal of fruit (and rinds) in such large quantities is another example of society?s using up the serviceable and leaving the superfluous behind.  The actions of Tom and Daisy also illustrate this tendency to ignore the waste products and obstacles.  ? . . . Daisy accidentally runs down and kills Myrtle Wilson.  Completely unnerved, Daisy speeds away . . . ?they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their wealth or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made . . .?? (Gallo 36-44)

Giving us the sense that the Valley symbolises lifelessness. In contrast with this, we were told that West Egg was full of “wide lawns and friendly trees.” Similar to West Egg, East Egg is full of green lawns and gardens joined by extraordinary mansions, in contrast to the Valley they are both full of life. The people who live in the Valley are known as lower class and are belonged to a lower social status than other characters in The Great Gatsby. The people who live there want to leave but cannot. As an example of this, Myrtle tragically dies when trying to escape the Valley. This shows us the pain and suffering that is associated with living in the valley of the ashes. Fitzgerald is trying to prove that the so called, “American Dream” is actually

The Valley of Ashes is halfway between West Egg of Long Island and New York City. When one comes upon the Valley of Ashes, it is not what they see, but what they do not see: sunshine, colors, or a settling feeling. The Valley of Ashes is nothing but a dull location, filled with unsatisfied farmers, unsuccessful gardens, billowing smoke, and mounds of ashes that are prominent below the gray skies. Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, describes the Valley of Ashes as “...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” (Fitzgerald 23). Fitzgerald describes this location as unpleasant for those who enter and it is seen as a vulnerable place due to the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg looking upon the location at all times. This descriptive quote foreshadows that something bad will occur in this area during the novel.

Have you ever had a best friend? Someone that was always there for you? Do you truly know how they felt about you? The Great Gatsby is about a young man named Jay Gatsby, a motivated bootlegger pursuing a grandeurous life that ends with a tragedy caused by betrayal. Of Mice and Men tells a story about two men who travel ranch to ranch together. They stumble upon a ranch that in the long run is the end of the road for them. The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men both portray two different stories in different time periods, yet both stories have strong resemblance. Both F.Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck exemplify through their characters that friendships are not always perceived the same between two individuals.

There were many symbols in the Great Gatsby that shows how Fitzgerald was affected by the times of the 1920s as he was writing the book. One of the places, the Valley of Ashes that was in the book and was shown in the movie was that the Valley of Ashes was a poor and dusty place. The Valley of Ashes would symbolize the poverty of the poor class and the hopelessness that goes with it. “... 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.” (Fitzgerald, pg 26.) The descriptions in the book also helps support the idea that the Valley of Ashes

Finally, the workers of the Valley of Ashes live in poverty despite their hard work. During Fitzgerald’s time, the 1920’s, many of the people in poverty were African Americans, who had less opportunities and treated as inferior in the workplace and in court. George Wilson, though not African American, failed to become successful despite his hard work along with many of the other workers in the Valley of Ashes. Their hard work and labor failed to pay off, and instead kept them in poverty because of lack of education. Fitzgerald accurately portrayed the lives in Americans during the 1920s through the great Gatsby as well as exposed the inequalities and failures of the American Dream through characters such as Tom and Daisy, incredibly rich but non hardworking people, Gatsby, wealthy but immoral, and George Wilson, poor but hardworking.

“The Great Gatsby” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place during the roaring 20’s, an especially great time for the wealthy. Symbolism is used thoroughly throughout the book to allow us to see how differently people see things and how we are affected by certain things that are out of our control. The color green is used to make us aware of money, wealth, even the future such as the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Here it symbolizes the future that Gatsby hopes to resume with Daisy. The Valley of Ashes symbolizes the desperation of the lower class, and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleberg, the eyes of “God”, symbolizes the fact that there is someone watching and judging all that happens. It was a very desperate time.

The Valley of Ashes is a desolate, decaying place that is looked upon by T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes. In the book, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald describes the eyes overlooking the valley as a “brood over solemn dumping ground”(24). The book suggests that the eyes represent an omnipresent figure looking over the superficial wasteland. The American Dream is to become wealthy and prosperous. In the Valley of Ashes, the only thing that goes on is the pursuit of money and materialism; however, the valley has become run down and empty. The book often

It could be interpreted that Scott Fitzgerald had used the valley of ashes to foreshadows future events in the novel, which conclude with other people (Gatsby and Mr Wilson) having to deal with the effects caused by the rich (Tom and Daisy Buchanan).

The Valley of Ashes is one of the most important symbols in The Great Gatsby. Literally, it is a waste dump, or industrial area. It isn’t truly made of ashes, but seems to be because of all gray smoke that clouds it. The grayness is due to the factories that are nearby, since their smokestacks leave ash everywhere. It is located next to the train tracks and the road that is in between the East and West Egg, in Queens.It is also located next to a small river, where products from factories are shipped to their designated location, as described in chapter 2. The desolation the valley radiates symbolizes the failure it represents. Figuratively, The Valley of Ashes is shown as a place of helplessness, a result of the grand desire for wealth, a pursuit that only leads to more failure and hopelessness. It reflects the overarching theme of the book: the decline of the American Dream because of the corruption associated with it. This

The “Roaring Twenties” was a period in 20th century America in which major cities throughout the nation would experience significant cultural extravagance and for some, decadence. New York, in particular, would exemplify this term with its streets filled with people of startling diversity and class, the bold emergence of the “flapper” lifestyle in young women, and the sensual swings of Jazz. However, as a direct result of such excess, all the refuse would be funneled into places like the Corona Ash Dump situated in the Queens. This duality of a prosperous society and a stagnating reality would serve as inspiration of many writers during that time. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he creates the Valley of Ashes as an instrument

Despite it is this flourishing but void time period that provides Gatsby with the extreme wealth he has built, and it seems that he is finally going to bring home the bacon and accomplish his fabulous life with Daisy. It still leads him to the grave at the end. Gatsby 's way to fall can be traced to dreaming, waking, failing, and finally lost in despair. In this respect, the life experience of Gatsby and the experience of America in the first decades of this century are strikingly similar. America was also once a lively land with people who have passion and great dreams. However, it is now replaced by modernization. The most typical example is The Valley of Ashes, where the workers keep their noses to the grindstone but still live a harsh life. The author describes as “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

The valley of ashes is described as “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). The valley of ashes represents all of the dreams that died in the city and were never lived out, almost a valley of regrets. “Men move dimly” (23) because they have nothing left to live for, because all of their dreams are dead, just like the ashes. The gray cars go by and stir up a cloud of hope, and the ash-men pick up “their leaden spades” (23) and carry out their “obscure operations” (23), trying to relive their dreams to get a second chance. Gatsby lost Daisy when he was very young, and that crushed

The Valley of Ashes is a place of uninterrupted desolation, and is inhabited by poorer individuals like George and Myrtle Wilson. It is a miserable place that connects Long Island with Manhattan, and Fitzgerald uses it to denote the politics of that day. It lacks the stylish suburban allure of West and East Egg, and is a barren wasteland that symbolizes the moral decay of all classes in the capitalist society of 1920s America. Moreover, the Valley of Ashes is a reflection of the destruction of morals hidden by the facades of the Eggs, and Fitzgerald uses it to indicate that beneath the garish ornamentation of West Egg, and the mannered pretense of East Egg, lies the same ugliness that is in the valley.. He depicts it as a place plagued with such

Romance, love, and destiny. Connections are formed like bridges built of various things; love, trust, money, fate. Some bridges are stronger than others and some bridges connect people who perhaps shouldn’t be connected. The movie “The Great Gatsby” better expresses the romantic relationships and connections between characters. Between Tom and Daisy, whose relationship may have more to do with survival than love, with Myrtle and Tom, the bridge between them connecting two souls searching for something more in life. And then there are bridges like the one between Jordan and Nick, filled with lies and a bridge not often travelled, and if you’re lucky you come across a bridge like Gatsby and Daisy's, which is made of love but filled with obstacles. These bridges play a key part in the story and the movie most definitely does a better job at expressing these connections between characters.