Ashes Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Imagery also played a big part in describing the Valley of the Ashes illustrated in chapter two of the book. Nick, the narrator describes The Valley of Ashes as the land that lies in between the Eggs and New York. The name “Valley of the Ashes” was given to this specify area is given due to its horrible conditions. This area was very unpleasant and is considered the dead land or the waste land. “This is a valley of ashes, a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; 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.” (Fitzgerald 23) This imagery portrays lower social class at the time period. The Valley of Ashes is very symbolic to the book as it symbolizes the plight of the poor, and characters such as George Wilson, who lives in the

The color yellow and gold in The Great Gatsby symbolizes two different things, but having the same meaning at the end.Yellow can symbolise the flaws and corruptness of doing something. At the same time gold symbolizes richness, and the desire of winning or wanting something, but having failure at it or having false hope the end

One of the first symbols Fitzgerald use is The Valley of Ashes “This is a valley of ashe’s a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take farms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally with transcendent effort of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 23). The Valley of Ashes is described in such great detail because it shows how beauty can be destroyed by greed. “Fitzgerald’s valley of ashes has been frequently compared to Eliot’s “Waste Land,” but the difference are more instructive than the similarities. Eliot’s waste and land is not, in terms of its imagery and mythology specifically Christian”(Elmore 433). The Valley of Ashes is a dead land that has a board over it that looks as if it is the eyes of God that sees all things.

The Valley of Ashes is halfway between West Egg of Long Island and New York City. When one comes upon the Valley of Ashes, it is not what they see, but what they do not see: sunshine, colors, or a settling feeling. The Valley of Ashes is nothing but a dull location, filled with unsatisfied farmers, unsuccessful gardens, billowing smoke, and mounds of ashes that are prominent below the gray skies. Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, describes the Valley of Ashes as “...a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; 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” (Fitzgerald 23). Fitzgerald describes this location as unpleasant for those who enter and it is seen as a vulnerable place due to the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg looking upon the location at all times. This descriptive quote foreshadows that something bad will occur in this area during the novel.

It represents what outer personality that he shows others. The color yellow is similar to gold and represents old money, greediness, and social status. Gatsby surrounds himself with yellow. He believes that decorating himself and house in yellow will signify and show that he is a member of the wealthier status, however yellow, is not gold. The car that he purchases to impress Daisy is the color yellow. “Gatsby’s ostentatious car, which he buys only to impress Daisy, is yellow and the girls dressed in “twin yellow dresses” at Gatsby’s’ party are painted in stark contrast to the “golden” Jordan (Examples of the Symbolism of colors in “The Great Gatsby”).” The yellow car symbolizes Gatsby’s desire to be in a higher class whereas “golden” Jordan symbolizes how valuable she is to Nick as a person. She is as valuable as gold is to the average person. On the other hand, yellow also symbolizes destruction and death. Myrtle, married to George but having an having an affair with Tom is killed by a yellow car symbolizing

Yellow represents money and greed but it peculiarly represents death as well. The color yellow can be seen at two of the deaths in the book. The yellow Rolls-Royce owned by Gatsby that killed Myrtle, it is discernible that yellow was involved with the death of Myrtle. Another way yellow is shown through death is when Gatsby walked past the yellowing trees that were on the way to his pool before he was killed by George Wilson. “Gatsby shouldered the mattress and headed for the pool. Once he stopped and shifted it a little and the chauffeur asked him if he needed any help, but he shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees.” (Fitzgerald p.169). This shows the color yellow playing a role in death once again. At the parties you can tell that yellow is apparent. The “yellow cocktail music” and the “girls in yellow dresses” are too ways that show that Gatsby tries to fit in with “old money.” Yellow or gold deals with the real money, gold of course, while green would be considered new money. It is also humorous that Daisy which is a yellow flower is also the most impure character in the book.

Throughout the novel, it can be seen that the most common color accompanying with Gatsby is yellow. With this color, the author skillfully implies what kind of outer self Gatsby intends to show before others. Yellow is the color of gold, which symbolizes money, materialism and high social position. First, yellow stands out as the color that represents new money and wealth acquired. According to Fitzgerald, “On week−ends his Rolls−Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains….The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher” (Chapter 3, Page 21). Fitzgerald uses gold, a vivid representation of yellow to symbolize the wealth gained by Gatsby and the immense desire for him to get even more and to show it off to the entire society. In the light of the following events, it is easy to see how Gatsby is blinded by his love for Daisy and therefore money. This evidence shows that he buys a large yellow Rolls Royce to show off his new money. The band at his party plays “yellow cocktail music” to show his fulsome way of living and life. Gatsby chooses the yellow color to decorate himself and his house to show that he has been one member of their class. As Gatsby thinks that Daisy has never loved anyone else any more except

Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby all move to the east, where they move from a world of values to a moral vacuum, represented by the "valley of ashes." The valley of ashes represents a world, which is like a distorted hell created by modern industry. Factories and trains, produced in the manufacture of wealth, has polluted America with its waste. Overlooking the valley, are the sightless eyes of T.J. Ecklburg, an advertisement on a billboard, that is actually confused as

It could be interpreted that Scott Fitzgerald had used the valley of ashes to foreshadows future events in the novel, which conclude with other people (Gatsby and Mr Wilson) having to deal with the effects caused by the rich (Tom and Daisy Buchanan).

The valley of ashes is described as “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; 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” (23). The valley of ashes represents all of the dreams that died in the city and were never lived out, almost a valley of regrets. “Men move dimly” (23) because they have nothing left to live for, because all of their dreams are dead, just like the ashes. The gray cars go by and stir up a cloud of hope, and the ash-men pick up “their leaden spades” (23) and carry out their “obscure operations” (23), trying to relive their dreams to get a second chance. Gatsby lost Daisy when he was very young, and that crushed

A second focal point in the book is the importance of the color yellow. The effects of yellow or golden colored objects in the book highlight the second portion of Rousseau’s ideology, that the natural purity is only ruined by the outside world. Examining Gatsby’s character more closely, we can see that he is surrounded by gold references just as Daisy is surrounded by references to white. At the beginning of the book, when Nick is narrating his description of the party, there are two key references to illicit money: the more direct one being “dark gold” and the more subtle being an implication of this from the order in which the orchestral instruments are named. A black instrument such as an oboe is followed by a golden colored instrument like a saxophone and so on, leading the reader to think that the gold is dark, or as we find later, illicit in nature. This idea of dark gold has a direct correlation to the idea of societal practices tarnishing one’s inner purity. Gatsby, with his pure intentions, moved to the house just across the bay from Daisy, but took up bootlegging to make so much money so he could ostentatiously and deliberately exhibit it to everyone, with the hopes of catching Daisy’s eye. Eventually however, it was not the money that reunited Gatsby and Daisy, and out of this Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is filled with symbols and symbolism, which try to convey Fitzgerald's ideas to the reader. The symbols are uniquely involved in the plot of the story, which makes their implications more real. There are three major symbols that serve very important significance in the symbolism of the novel. They are "the valley of the ashes," the reality that represents the corruption in the world, the green light of Daisy's lap that Gatsby sees across the bay and lastly, the symbolism of the East Egg and West Egg or more important the east and the west of the country.

The colors gold and yellow carry symbolism for wealth in the Great Gatsby. Even though the two colors represent wealth, they both are a little different. Gold represents richer or more lavish things, whereas yellow represents newer wealth or not as valuable. Yellow is used many times in the novel to describe certain objects. For example, many structures are described in yellow like the building on the edge of the valley of ashes or some window panes. Also, during one of Gatsby’s parties, the music is described as yellow cocktail music, Gatsby’s car is also yellow. Gold is used to describe people like Jordan Baker who is not as rich as many characters like

The Valley of Ashes represents the socially unaccepted. The characters in the Valley of Ashes represent poverty. “This is the Valley of Dry Bones, the Waste Land, The dusty replica of modern society, where ash-grey men are crumbling, like Eliot’s hollow men” (Bicknell 98). Myrtle and George Wilson both live in a run down garage in the Valley of Ashes. Myrtle Wilson tries desperately to improve her life and get out of the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes also represents doom and death. Myrtle is found as the victim of a hit and run caused by Daisy and Gatsby. The Valley of Ashes represents the death and dreams for Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson. These characters die in the novel due to misconception and anger.

This close analysis is based around the passage at the beginning of chapter II of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.