What Is The Valley Of Ashes Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

The “American dream” was once believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, hard work, and above all, not through chance. This definition loses all credibility once our American history is truly addressed. In the 1920s, the “American Dream” was something every child and adult dreamt of; however, there wasn’t “equal opportunity” at all like American schools teach us. For many people, especially in the early 20th century, “The American Dream” was never actually accessible. The neverending battle between wealth classes created a greedy and distrustful culture within Americans. What is the sacrifice needed to achieve what every American wants? This insatiable craving to have everything, from wealth and power to family and fortune, cannot

Nick describes the Valley as “where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (21). The valley of ashes symbolizes the sacrifice of morality for the unrealistic American Dream. Fitzgerald’s rich diction paints a clear picture of how the ashes are a cycle of life and death in contrast with the rich and poor. The neglected grey valley, created by the pollution exhorted from nearby factories, is another case in point to the damage created by consumerism. Riding on a train with Gatsby, Nick passes through the valley of ashes and takes a “glimpse of Mrs. Wilson straining at the garage pump with panting vitality” while they travel by (63). The contrast between Myrtle’s hard-working lifestyle, and Daisy’s laid-back, never lifting a finger lifestyle could not be more apparent. The fact that Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, lives a completely different life than him and cares for him for different reasons than he does, demonstrates how questionable and entitled the characters are in The Great Gatsby. The Valley of Ashes is physically a reminder that the truth is that some people are successful, but their success results in those who don’t make a penny to their dollar. Another contrast between classes is the East and West Egg neighborhoods. The difference between the two is not physical, but social. One side consists of people with new money, the West Egg, and the people with old money, the East Egg. Nick expresses that “to the wingless, a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size”, regarding the East and West egg (5). Nick’s depiction of the Eggs as identical to the eye, but fraternal in status, while also using birds as a metaphor shows how unnatural and materialistic the gap