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What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

648 Words3 Pages

“Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear” (President Snow, Hunger Games) The Great Gatsby uses symbolism to explore the effect of hope, however in this case, for the worse. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby proves the corruption of the American Dream by alluding to the green light, the Valley of Ashes, and the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. Firstly, The Great Gatsby proves the corruption of the American Dream through the green light. The green light symbolizes the American Dream; specifically society’s desire for wealth. The fact that the green light ‘coincidentally’ “burns ... at the end of [Daisy’s] dock” (Fitzgerald 92), suggests that Daisy really is only the face behind Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth. Gatsby knows that in order to win Daisy, he must be rich. So, when deciding on whether to take illegal action and make quick money, he looks over for Daisy’s advice. He only sees a green light, convincing him to go ahead with his bootlegging. Even after Gatsby becomes very rich, the green light does not get any closer; in fact, “year by year [it] recedes” (180), proving the American …show more content…

The valley of ashes is quite simply put the “dumping ground” (24) of the rich. Therefore, the valley symbolizes the disregard for others by the few people that have actually accomplished the Dream. For most people, the Dream may seem plausible, however it is just a fantasy. Fate abruptly pulls anyone trying to climb out back into the valley, or worse. Myrtle and Gatsby both exemplify this plummet back down to earth. Their bodies return to the ashes, truly becoming a part of the valley to help enforce what the valley represents: lost dreams of gold. The valley of ashes illustrates the hopelessness of achieving these dreams of gold, as they will eventually all end in ashes. By symbolizing the hopelessness of the Dream, the valley of ashes proves its

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