As a walk through the Valley of Ashes...

I want to talk about the Valley of Ashes, because it is one of my favorite symbols in the entire book. For one thing, I see it as a symbol for the moral degradation that society is going through. All of the characters travel through the valley, which shows that they all feel its effect, and yet they also all helped to cause it. The description of faceless men shoveling the ashes is a testimony to how all of society has taken a turn for the worst. People are becoming more and more sinful and dark. Also, the Valley of Ashes is a sort of passage between New York and the “new rich” West Egg. I interpreted this as Fitzgerald’s criticism of what it takes to move up the social ladder. In other words, to get from the commonplace New York to the extravagant rich West Egg, you must pass through this sinful dark place. It is a symbol for how evil people can be when trying to move up a class. People are all too willing to ruin others for their own personal gain. Lastly, when talking of the Valley of Ashes, how can you not talk about Eckleburg? They are always there staring down at this morally decayed place. I immediately recognized the large eyes as a symbol for God. It is a reminder that God is always watching us, and he is even aware of all of our evils. Although the billboard and God have long-since been forgotten, the fact remains that they are still there standing guard and watching. I loved how the only mention of religion in the entire novel was related to Eckleburg. I could talk for ages on the topic of this simple advertisement and all of its possible meanings. Finally, I feel obligated to make a quick mention of Wilson. He is a poor victim of all of the world’s horrors, and he lives in the Valley of Ashes to symbolize this.