Close Analysis of the Beginning of Chapter 2 of the Great...

The valley of ashes This close analysis is based around the passage at the beginning of chapter II of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The word ‘Egg’ in West Egg symbolises new life and renewal, the word ‘New’ in New York also symbolises similar ideas of a young, modernistic place. This is appropriate as the valley of ashes is the geographic midpoint between the suburbs and the city, between the two yet not part of either; as it is the home of the people left behind in the Roaring Twenties. The sentence ‘the motor road hastily joins†¦ land’ suggests the Valley of ashes is is home to the sorts of people the wealthy are content to overlook. This can also be seen : ‘men swarm up’, likening people to insects, implying they are†¦show more content†¦J. Eckleburg and God exists only in George Wilson’s grief-stricken mind – in Chapter 8: ‘You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’† The sentence ‘the passengers†¦ stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour’ symbolises the wealthy forced to be confronted with the consequences of their lives of luxury, while the word ‘forced’ implies these upper class people would rather not know about places like the valley of ashes and the conditions the people there have to live in, the truth being inconvenient. This ties in with the theme of the American Dream but draws attention to the reality of a downside to the hedonistic lifestyles of the rich – the Valley of Ashes is proof of this; it is a by-product of capitalism. The idea of the wealthy thinking of themselves as being superior and having dominance over others can be seen: ‘literally forced me from the car. â€Å"We’re getting off,† he insisted.’ Tom’s dominant attitude can be seen, as Nick is forced into meeting Tom’s mistress, also giving the impression Tom wants to show off ‘his girl’. This also puts the idea forward that Tom thinks of Myrtle as another possession to be shown off, again tying in with the theme of the American Dream in accumulating as many possessions as possible. This attitude Tom has towards Myrtle can also be seen: ‘leaving her at the table,Show MoreRelatedThe Disillusionment of American Dream in Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night19485 Words   |  78 PagesThe disillusionment of American dream in the Great Gatsby and Tender is the night Chapter I Introduction F. Scott Fitzgerald is the spokesman of the Jazz Age and is also one of the greatest novelists in the 20th century. His novels mainly deal with the theme of the disillusionment of the American dream of the self-made young men in the 20th century. In this thesis, Fitzgerald’s two most important novels The Great Gatsby(2003) and Tender is the Night(2005) are analyzed. Both these two novelsRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesï » ¿TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS The purpose of Text Interpretation and Analysis is a literary and linguistic commentary in which the reader explains what the text reveals under close examination. Any literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model†