Significance Of Dust In The Great Gatsby

a sympathy towards its occupants. The melancholy atmosphere is not only stale but also unchanged by time as in the words “endlessly” or “eternal”. Removed from the hustle and bustle of the city by the railroad tracks, the Valley of Ashes is representative of the failed American Dream. People stop in but never stay unless they live there. Seemingly struggling to advance past their current socioeconomic level, the Wilsons live out their lives pretending to be wealthier than they are. Mr. Wilson buys and sells cars from the likes of Tom Buchanan. Myrtle pretends to be just as affluent as Daisy Buchanan, wearing beautiful dresses and escaping her socially stifling life for a far more exciting one as Tom’s mistress. Yet, despite their attempts to

Particularly interesting, however, is the use of dust throughout the novel. Dust is introduced early in the book, as Gatsby's downfall; “foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams” (Fitzgerald 4). The dust symbolizes the stigma of the lower class, which Gatsby and the Wilson’s can never seem to escape. The day after Myrtle’s death, Nick visits Gatsby and finds an “inexplicable amount of dust everywhere” (Fitzgerald 157), showing how dust manages to stalk Gatsby even in his luxurious mansion. Later, Tom attempts to shift the blame for Gatsby’s death, saying, “‘[t]hat fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy’s’” (Fitzgerald 191). In Tom Buchanan’s world of old money, nothing is more shameful than dust. Rather than being associated with dust, Jordan and the Buchanans live within the world of powder; as in the fine makeup applied to the women's’ fingers, faces, bosoms. The mention of sooty dust is ominous in comparison to the iridescent powder of the rich and intertwines with the death of the Myrtle Wilson. Dying in the Valley of Ashes symbolizes the return of Myrtle to her true social class, in the religious burial phrase “ashes to ashes, dust to

Eckleburg project almost piercingly against this dusty scenery. The description of Doctor Eckleburg’s yellow glasses does not only draw attention to the colored advertisement in this grayscale world but also ties meaning to the colors of yellow and gold. Gold conflates the prestige of old money with the lust and desire of the American Dream. Nick describes Jordan’s toned physique as golden when he accompanies her at Gatsby’s party. Gold reappears at Nick’s tea party in the brass buttons on Daisy’s dress, “gleaming in the sunlight” (Fitzgerald 97). A third time, gold surfaces when Nick calls Daisy, “the golden girl” (Fitzgerald 128). The affluence associated with gold manifests itself in the two women in Nick’s life, both who belong to the tradition of old money. Never losing its value or gleam, gold symbolizes the ideal standard for women like Daisy and Jordan, who feel they are only important to society as long as they maintain their wealth and beauty. This power associated with gold contrasts with the use of yellow; a color seen as a lower quality golden hue without its metallic shine. The outsiders of old wealth, display yellow rather than gold in their attempts to impress the social hierarchy. But the yellow fantasy that the outsiders create, foreshadows their untimely demise. Myrtle, who dies outside of her yellow brick home in the Valley, is killed by Daisy driving Gatsby’s own yellow car. As the green leaves of summer’s