Valley Of Ashes In The Great Gatsby

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Fitzgerald goes into detail in invoking the grotesque scene of America into the mind of the reader. By putting forth the metaphor that “this is a valley of ashes- a fantastic farm” (2), he besets the idea of this is where the detestable conditions spout. The valley of ashes is simply the wasteland of American industry; accordingly, it may sound odd to describe a wasteland as a farm. Any discrepancies of that disappear on further analysis of the comparison, however. Clarity and obviousness arise as you consider the meaning of the statement. A farm is a place where plants grow, where the lushness and beauty of life flourish. When the valley is compared to a farm, it ironically furthers the idea of the bleak state of the land; accordingly doing