The Valley of Ashes and The Color Gray
First introduced in Chapter II, the valley of ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. It represents the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/themes.html“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 like ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort” (Fitzgerald 23).
-This quote describes the Valley of Ashes at its best. Also, it connects many metaphorical figures with physical objects such as the valley itself. The simile (“like wheat”) is used give the reader a good visual.
“But above the gray land and spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive… the eyes … from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles” (Fitzgerald 23).
-Here the great yellow eyes are first introduced and the reader’s curiosity is peaked for a deeper understanding of what these eyes mean and represent. The land in the background is described as “gray” which may represent emptiness and death.
Written by:
Liz and Dani
