How Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby is filled with many objects that represent an idea or symbol. These symbols help progress the story and develop the theme, which is the emptiness in the higher class. The emptiness in the higher class means the rich people feel they are missing something even though they have all the money they could ever need. The opposite is also true that the lower class are more happy and have everything they need despite their lack of money. Many of these symbols are very important to the story like the green light, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, and the valley of ashes. The Theme of The Great Gatsby is one that had to do a lot with what was happening during the 1920s. Many people were partying and had loads of money but that didn’t make them happy. The quote “If we look beyond-or, perhaps more accurately, through-Daisy as commodity fetish, she may be viewed as an object manifestation of Gatsby’s desire to return…show more content…
The quote “This is a valley of ashes-a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens” (Fitzgerald 23) describes how abysmal the valley of ashes is compared to New York and West and East egg. The valley of ashes represents all the people who could not get rich off the roaring twenties like people in West Egg and end up in a place of ruin. It also represents how people who live there have given up all enthusiasm for life and lost all their energy. “He was a blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome” (Fitzgerald 25) gives the description of George Wilson and how people in the valley of ashes mostly act. People in the valley of ashes are so drained of life that visitors will cause them to come somewhat back to life; “When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes” (Fitzgerald 25). The valley of ashes is a play that was caught between the rich side of West Egg and the mysterious beauty of New
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