The Great Gatsby Passage Analysis

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Passage Analysis Page 26-27 This passage is primarily concerned with the lost hopes and illusions of the American Dream that dwell within the uninterrupted desolation that is the Valley of Ashes. Referencing the monstrous eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg and the aggressive and possessive nature of Tom Buchanan, Fitzgerald contrasts the grim wasteland and poverty of the Valley of Ashes, to the hedonism of the Eggs, and of New York City. The Valley of Ashes is a desolate wasteland, symbolic of the moral decay hidden behind the beautiful facades of the Eggs, and suggests that under the embellishment of West Egg and the mannered charm of East Egg, lies the same ugliness found in the Valley. “The motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land.” The inclusion of the railroad symbolises progress; a pathway out of the dump that is the Valley of Ashes, and the longing for wealth and class by those who wish to “shrink away” from the reality which they cannot and do not want to accept. But these lower class patrons are left to “stare at the dismal scene” of the Valley of Ashes, on “waiting trains” demonstrating not only their failure in trying to grasp the American Dream, but the reality in which they can’t escape. Throughout the novel, Nick Carraway details the bellicose and materialistic nature of Tom Buchanan, with his aggressive and possessive mannerisms further exemplified in this passage, as Nick states that Tom’s behaviour “bordered on violence”. As the two head out for lunch in New York, his eagerness is showcased as he “jumped to his feet and, taking hold of [Nick’s] elbow, literally forced [him] from the car”. Such pugnacious behaviour demonstrates the façade of Tom’s personality, this being a representation of the façade of East and Wet Egg, in that, Tom, whilst on
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