In the tapestry of American literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an exploration of the American Dream against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, a period marked by unprecedented economic prosperity and social change. Through the vivid scenes of East Egg, West Egg, the Valley of Ashes, and New York City, Fitzgerald intricately weaves geographic location and social stratification. This narrative not only provides a dynamic background of the novel’s events but also symbolizes the varied social positions, lifestyles, and personalities of the characters, making the critique of the American Dream and the moral landscape of that era. In The Great Gatsby, East Egg is a place of old money, social elitism, and traditional values, …show more content…
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald vividly captures this bleak landscape, “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens” (Fitzgerald 19). This imagery illustrates the environmental and moral desolation faced by those excluded from the prosperity promised by the American Dream. In the Valley of Ashes, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes overlook every movement of this desolate land, silently witnessing this bleak land.“The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high (Fitzgerald 19). These towering eyes, overlooking the Valley of Ashes, are written as the eyes of God, watching over the society that has lost its moral compass. Suggesting divine judgment on the immoral and forgotten victims of America’s pursuit of wealth, casting a shadow over the American Dream. Hence, the Valley of Ashes displays the dark underbelly of the American Dream, a place where dreams are not just deferred but obliterated by the harsh realities of inequality and