The Failure Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Dr. T.J Eckleburg's eyes are

In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, many people are living the American Dream. Dancing the night away at Gatsby’s extravagant parties and lavishing themselves in loads of money. While everything may seem pleasurable and perfect for the people of West and East Egg, it is not the same for the inhabitants of the Valley of Ashes. In The Great Gatsby, the symbols of the Valley of Ashes show how the American Dream is not always such a grand dream and the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg symbolize God in a desolate place.

It now represents an unattainable dream inside of everyone that is continuously sought after. Another recurring theme in The Great Gatsby are the looming eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes represent a higher power that is observing the immoral events that occur in the book. The Valley of Ashes symbolizes the poor lower class who suffers at the benefit of the wealthy. The Valley of Ashes could also represent the devastating effects of The American Dream.

The area is inhabited by auto repair shops and salvage yards and above all of them a billboard can be seen with two big eyes that advertise an oculist by the name of Doctor TJ Eckleberg. “But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose. Evidently some wag

Myrtle and Gatsby both exemplify this plummet back down to earth. Their bodies return to the ashes, truly becoming a part of the valley to help enforce what the valley represents: lost dreams of gold. The valley of ashes illustrates the hopelessness of achieving these dreams of gold, as they will eventually all end in ashes. By symbolizing the hopelessness of the Dream, the valley of ashes proves its

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, many symbols and themes are implemented throughout the story. These symbols help portray ideas to the reader. One of the symbols that Fitzgerald uses is the valley of ashes. This symbol stands for the underclass who work so the rich can prosper. Many of the people that live there are factory workers.

It eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (Fitzgerald 180). Gatsby is mesmerized by the green light and sees it as a beacon of hope and possibility. However, the green light also represents the illusory nature of the American Dream, as Gatsby's obsession with achieving it ultimately leads to his downfall. The green light, therefore, serves as a symbol of the fragility of hope and the dangers of pursuing an unattainable dream. As Nick and Tom pass the Valley of Ashes, it is described as, “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

To me, the many different colors are visualized as many different plots of land. At the top the blue lines are a river, which was thought of as an obstacle in earlier times. Rivers were and still are barriers as well as dangerous places. The river is a symbol of a problem in my life. When I come upon a river, I search for the best way to cross it.

It is also a symbol of hope and responsibility, but also unattainable dreams and illusions. The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg represents the loss of spiritual values and the corruption of the American dream. It is a symbol of

There is three representations of the American dream the first on being America is the new Eden, if you work hard you succeed, and the triumph of the individual, but no matter how hard you work it doesn’t mean you’ll succeed. Fitzgerald believes that the American dream is disillusioned. He illustrates the hard-working people working towards their dreams and hopes, but they are overlooked because of the corrupt people cheating to achieve what they want. Fitzgerald wants the reader to interpret this message through the usage of the vegetation myth, and the various colors representing seasons in the cycle.

Louise Edrich’s story “The Red Convertible” explores the idea of the American dream. The the use of symbolism of everyday objects she presents the ideals of the American dream which include but are not limited to the ideals: of freedom, social mobility, and the death of the American dream she paints a picture that any reader can understand. According to Kenneth Burk in his essay “Symbol and Association”: “What elements of the various context might add modification to the idea… All such inquires would directly concern not symbolism, but meanings as established inductively by the collating and comparing of contexts.”

Based n this quote the “eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg” are most likely a sign or billboard of a pair of blue eyes like the ones on the cover of the book. “…some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away” (24). The author is telling the reader that

The American Dream: Promising or Hopeless? A statement from the article “Rethinking the American Dream” reads, “(…) like so many before and after him, was overcome by the power of the American Dream” (Source E). The American Dream is the ideal that everyone should possess an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through determination. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel

This is accomplished through the use of symbols such as the Valley of Ashes, The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, and The Green Light. These 3 symbols play a huge roll in the novel for each of them are massively important in their own ways. Mid-way between New York City and West Egg, lies the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is a dreary place symbolizing the moral descent of society. As described in the novel it is, “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.”

Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and in Chapter 1 he reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. Because Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is broadly associated with the American dream, the green light also symbolizes that more generalized ideal. In Chapter 9, Nick compares the green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation. THE VALLEY OF ASHES First introduced in Chapter 2, the valley of ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. It represents the moral and social decay that results from the dissolute pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure.