Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Dystopia James Truslow once said “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”. The Great Gatsby is a story about a dreamer turned millionaire named Jay Gatsby. He was in love with a girl named Daisy who was already married. Daisy’s husband has a mistress with a lady named Myrtle Wilson, Daisy knows of her. Gatsby uses nick to get closer to Daisy and they start an affair. One night as Daisy is driving Gatsby's car she hits and kills Tom’s mistress Myrtle. Gatsby then takes the blame and is shot by Myrtle's husband. The American Dream is the life immigrants seek in America. A dream of a nice house, a job, and a beautiful

T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes symbolize the loss of spiritual values in America. The board was made to promote the business of an optometrist. The eyes showed the failed dream of success .The American dream at the time was the dream of making a lot of money. During the 1920’s through 1930’s a man’s success was measured of how much money he has not of what kind of person he was. The book describes the billboard as sad and faded, “But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.” This shows that during the time period of The Great Gatsby life wasn't perfect and that most people did not achieve the american dream. The billboard shows the a example of a failed dream a dream that can be reached but never fully

The Valley of Ashes is located between east egg and west egg where all the dreamers and poor factories workers live. The setting explains how sad and dirty this place is “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 ash-grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air”.The valley of ashes is where dreams come to die. A example of this is the build board of the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. Also the valley of ashes is where dreams are chased. This nasty dirty place shows the consequences people have not only on themselves but to their own environment. It explains that ashy grey men moving dimly and crumbling through the air this shows that they work so hard to reach a dream that's impossible. They're so focused on reaching and chasing their dream that they poisoned themselves and everything around them this shows how society is so obsessed with success and money.What do you believe, do you think it's right that people travel across the world coming to america risking life and limb just for a dream that they will never fully