ipl-logo

Location Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

734 Words3 Pages

Location and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains many examples of symbolism. One of the most common symbols that appears is regarding location of important areas in the novel. The location of the Valley of Ashes provides central and very important symbols; including Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, the valley itself, the valley and religious connections, and the fact that George Wilson lives there. Dr. T. J. Eckleburg is actually a picture of a man’s face on a billboard located in the valley of ashes. Though this may make him seem insignificant, he maintains an ominous presence throughout the course of the novel. What is focused on most is Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes. These eyes are possibly the form of a God-like figure that watches over all the doings and happenings of Gatsby, Nick, Tom, George, and Myrtle. As the events of the novel unravel before the reader’s eyes, Eckleburg’s eyes are constantly there. They seem to be watching over the lack of “humility, compassion, patience, or (and) charity.” (Hauhart 203) They seem to also be pointing the reader to the general theme in the novel regarding the “corrupting influence of modernity.” Ultimately, Dr. T. J. Eckleburg watches over the novel as the reader does; discerning the problems of …show more content…

Myrtle from the very beginning of the novel was an evil being. (Hauhart 202) “So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York…” (Fitzgerald 26) Later on, George’s evil soul shone through as well when he hunted and shot Gatsby for killing his wife (even though he did not). (Fitzgerald 162) These characters are the only two main characters who originated in the valley. Fitzgerald likely planned that so that their story could lend to the overarching symbol of the valley of ashes. The Wilson’s presense in the heart of the valley simply highlights the valley’s symbolism. (Hauhart

Show More
Related

What Are The Great Gatsby Daisy's Character Flaws

1587 Words | 7 Pages

In the story The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the majority of the characters are either dishonest, chasing hollow dreams, or plain ignorant. Fitzgerald flaunts the flaws of these characters regularly. Tom Buchanan is a constant example of dishonesty, due to his reoccurring affair with Myrtle Wilson. Although she does not believe it true, Daisy is one of the most ignorant characters.

Read More

Examples Of Daisy To Blame In The Great Gatsby

874 Words | 4 Pages

F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is about a wealthy couple, both with lovers that were born into a low social class. Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story. His neighbor, Jay Gatsby, always throws large parties and is Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan’s, lover. Nick and Daisy have a boatload of history, and no matter how hard they try to forget one another, they eventually retreat to their former ways and become lovers. Meanwhile, Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, is also having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, a poor woman that lives in the Valley of Ashes.

Read More

Juxtaposition In The Great Gatsby

842 Words | 4 Pages

Myrtle is married to a man named Wilson, who has such love for her that her infidelity tears him up inside. The novel ends with tragedy, and with three of the main characters dead. Through the juxtaposition of the characters Gatsby and Wilson, it is shown that when living in an idealized

Read More

How Does Daisy Buchanan Represent In The Great Gatsby

777 Words | 4 Pages

With this new rush of energy, all the excess waste leads to the creation of The Valley of Ashes, while the rich like Daisy Buchanan trot along by. Throughout the narrative The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald Scott demonstrates the moral hollowness of the upperclassmen and the wealthy people in the 1920s. Evident through Daisy Buchanan’s actions and again through the setting of The Valley

Read More

East And West Egg In The Great Gatsby

612 Words | 3 Pages

It symbolizes poverty, and the population of Manhattan that is not rich and self indulged in their personal lives. The Valley of Ashes is described as a dumping ground, Nick even explains how it’s “bounded on one side by a small foul river, and, when the drawbridge is up to let barges through, the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour” (27). This is completely opposite to places like West Egg, where most of the novel is taken place. Everything is luxurious and fast paced, comparing these two places opens up many symbols in the reader's mind, like poverty and the fact that not every American at that time could live as Gatsby can, for instance.

Read More

Examples Of Social Location In The Great Gatsby

614 Words | 3 Pages

Social location affects how you act and perceive life in many different ways. For example in The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald a group of adults have many different understandings of life, many different views, and morals. A character named Daisy has interesting choices and emotions towards characters and events. First her marrying Tom because of his socioeconomic status, secondly her gender affecting her emotions after the accident, lastly her complicated relationship status between Tom and Gatsby.

Read More

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And I Hear America Singing

785 Words | 4 Pages

In "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we see the

Read More

Why Is Color Important In The Great Gatsby

1133 Words | 5 Pages

Color subtly shows the emotions of the novel, such as envy, disaster, and false purity. Not every place in The Great Gatsby is beautiful or sophisticated, for example The Valley of Ashes is where the “not-so-rich” reside. The Wilson’s Garage belongs here as well.

Read More

Theme Of Grey In The Great Gatsby

1268 Words | 6 Pages

It also serves to portray the materialistic society that surrounds them (The Colors of Society - Camouflaged Discontent).” The characters portray such class and wealth along with fake happiness. The Valley of Ashes looks at how they feel on the inside which Daisy and Gatsby both ooze with discontent with how they’ve made decisions and how their lives did not turn out how they dreamed. Next, at one of Gatsby’s many house parties Nick makes a list of “grey names, and they will give you a better impression than [Nick’s] generalities (Fitzgerald 61).”

Read More

Use Of Personification In The Great Gatsby

297 Words | 2 Pages

A second literary device that the author uses is imagery. He mentions, “...of men who dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald, 23). The author uses this to visually explain how dim and gray the setting is, and how the powdery air makes it difficult for the people to move around and work. The Valley of Ashes isn’t actually a place made out of ashes, but seems that way due to its polluted surroundings filled with dusts, representing the struggles and hopelessness of many. By using personification and imagery, Fitzgerald explains what the setting is like and why it is significant to the story.

Read More

Values, Themes And Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

924 Words | 4 Pages

The 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

Read More

What Does The Water Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

809 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout many brilliant works of literature, a common item is placed amongst them: symbols. Symbols are often a key to further understanding a point the author is trying to convey to their readers. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, he utilizes the literary tool of symbols to illustrate a larger picture for his themes and characters within the novel. For example, the color green plays a prominent role in The Great Gatsby throughout the duration of the novel. However, the color has can have various interpretations.

Read More

Unit 5 Social Media Trends Essay

716 Words | 3 Pages

Five social media trends that I have found would be: singing clips/clips of people singing, ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) slime clips/clips of people playing with slime which Is supposed to be satisfying and cause triggers for some people, cooking food clips/clips of people cooking with all ingredients and how exactly to cook the delicious food, makeup look clips/ clips of people doing make showing the products they use and how to apply those products, comedian clips for entertainment/ clips to entertain viewers and make the viewer laugh. A new social media platform that makes use of geolocation service would be Snapchat https://www.snapchat.com/. Snapchats new feature uses Geolocation by finding where you’re located and placing

Read More

Materialism In The Great Gatsby Analysis

1558 Words | 7 Pages

This is accomplished through the use of symbols such as the Valley of Ashes, The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, and The Green Light. These 3 symbols play a huge roll in the novel for each of them are massively important in their own ways. Mid-way between New York City and West Egg, lies the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is a dreary place symbolizing the moral descent of society. As described in the novel it is, “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.”

Read More

How Does Jay Fitzgerald Present Greed In The Great Gatsby

773 Words | 4 Pages

Fitzgerald 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

Read More

More about Location Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document