Valley Of Ashes Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Money doesn't buy happiness. This is the case for many in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nick Carraway is the narrator. He tells about his time in New York, as he lives on the west egg next to Gatsby. During this time Nick learns that his cousin Daisy knows Gatsby. Throughout the story Nick tells the readers about life during the 1920’s. Fitzgerald uses symbols such as the green light, valley of ashes, and Gatsby himself to represent that the American dream is unattainable. To begin the first time Nick sees Gatsby is when he is extending his arms out towards a green (21). To many in the 1920’s the color green stood for money, growth, or the future. To Gatsby the color green is his American dream. The reason Gatsby is extending

The valley of ashes can be described as “A fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens;... of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air (23).” The barrenness of this place shows the failure of the American dream. The people who live in the valley of ashes all want to leave, but have no way of doing so. Two characters George and Myrtle Wilson live here in their car garage. Neither of the characters are happy with their life. Myrtle even cheats on George so she can fulfill her dream of being rich, or at least feeling rich. As much as George wants to provide for her he can not. The dust of the ashes has settled on him bringing him lack of life and hope. When George figures out that Myrtle had been cheating on him he locks her up in hopes that he will have enough time to figure out how to move them west (136). This plan all falls apart when Myrtle runs out into the road and gets hit by a car (137). This kills both George’s dreams of providing for Myrtle and Myrtle’s dream of finally being wealthy. The valley of ashes collects more ashes as Myrtle is hit by the