Chapter Two

Picture: Valley of Ashes


The valley of ashes is a very grotesque area where all you can see is dust in the air. It is located half way between West Egg and New York City . It has rundown houses and polluted water. It has farms where ashes grow like wheat in the hills. It is a desolate wasteland. It is a very poor area. Tom takes Nick there by train to meet his affair Myrtle. Nick also meets her husband Mr. Wilson. Nick thinks this place is a gross and poor area. It is filled with powdery air. The valley of ashes connects with the personalities of the people who live there. Like the Wilson ’s by Myrtle cheating on her husband George with Tom. Tom only cares about himself and he is conceded so he belongs to the valley of ashes. Myrtle is stuck with Mr. Wilson in the valley of ashes and can’t get out.

Quotes

“Well, they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s. That’s where all his money comes from” (37). This is another rumor about Gatsby, which shows no one really know’s the exact truth about him.

“If I was them I’d get a divorce and get married to each other right away” (37). This shows that Nick knows Tom is having an affair with Myrtle and Nick doesn’t care that he’s cheating on his cousin.

“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” (27). This is showing Nick’s first impression of the valley of ashes. He’s saying that it is a bad and dull place.

“The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river” (28). This is Nick’s second impression and it hasn’t changed. He’s seeing that it is not a safe and clean area.

Character Contrast

There is a contrast between Tom and Wilson by the fact there both in love with Myrtle. Wilson is Myrtle’s husband and Tom is having an affair with Myrtle. Mr. Wilson doesn’t know that Tom and Myrtle are having an affair. Tom is rich, has a bad temper, and is full of himself. He also played football. Mr. Wilson is a garage worker and lives in the valley of ashes. Tom and Mr. Wilson are completely different people. Mr. Wilson is older than them, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is very spiritless. Myrtle is the exact opposite of him she is lively and fun. Myrtle is also different than Daisy. She is curvy, not dull, and very outgoing. She can’t get out of the valley of ashes and can’t leave husband.

Chapter One

Picture:A red and white mansion of 1920’s in Long Island

The red and white mansion on Long Island expresses the wealth along the two eggs. To begin, the color red is associated with joy, love, life, shame, rage and death. As well, the book is based around the setting of Long island. The Buchanan's are characters who own a red and white mansion. Tom is described as red many times throughout the text, while Daisy is more white. White is associated with innocence and purity. Tom and Daisy are a very unhappy couple causing rage between them. Although they were once in love before. There house inside is described as " We walked through a high hallway into a bright rosy-colored space (13)." Also, the mansion expresses the display of wealth, and giving it a view of beauty and value.

Quotes

" The whole town is desolate. All the cars have the left rear wheel painted black as a mourning wreath and there’s a persistent wail all night along the North Shore"(14). The significance of this quote is that is expresses falseness. Nick tells Daisy that everyone misses her, even though truth is no one really does.

"Tom Buchanan who had been hovering restlessly about the room stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder"(14). The significance of this quote is that is expresses the boredom that the wealthy people reveal.

"I’ll tell you a family secret,"she whispered enthusiastically. "Its about the butler’s nose. Do you want to hear about the butler’s nose"(18). The significance of this quote is that gossiping is always being brought about between the wealthy because in reality they have nothing better to do.

"Have you read The Rise of the Colored Empires by this man Goddard"…The idea is if we don’t look out the white race we be-will be utterly submerged"(17). The significance expressed is that racism is being reveal from Tom Buchanan and that many of the wealthy are racist to other nationalities.

Symbolism: Egg(Setting)

Throughout chapter one the settings of the West and East eggs are expressed. The two enormous eggs are separated by a bay in the western hemisphere. They are also explained to be crushed flat. Though the eggs may look a lot alike, they are different economically. Some references used throughout the book to describe these islands are "hard boiled" and "warm centered". In addition, the symbolism of the eggs is that they equal people. People may look one way on the outside, but be totally different in the inside. Also, these to islands are located along the side of Long Island. The West Egg is known as the "less fashionable", Nick and Gatsby live there. But, the East Egg is know as the "fashionable", this is because more of the "old money" people live here like the Buchanan's. All in all, the people who live here are what they seem to be.Furthermore, both islands have lavishing houses and parties in certain areas of each one. For example,Gatsby has gigantic parties in his mansion of West Egg.