Was Gatsby Great? - Great Video!

The Valley of Ashes- Not the Most Pleasant of Valleys

           The valley in which Doctor T.J Eckleburg broods on over, is called the valley of ashes. The valley of ashes was 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” (p.26). The people living in between the Eggs and the city are stuck in this place because of the social decay that has come from the careless lifestyles of the rich in the 1920’s. They helped to make New York into what it is but have no reaped the rewards of what they have worked for. 

  This valley can also represent what the cities of the 20s do to the environment due to the capitalist industrialization. The valley continues to grow as people continue to consume more things. The poor in this valley cannot escape it and are considered to be one of the lowest classes in society. Myrtle attempts to climb the social ladder through Tom but can never truly escape the valley and dies trying. This valley is meant to show how corrupt society is and how wasteful the rich truly are.

Who Is Dr. T.J Eckleburg?

           When the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg are first introduced in the book the reader does not know these eyes are on a billboard. Nick talks about these eyes creating an eerie image around them before mentioning that they are actually on a billboard. This writing technique makes the reader realize that these eyes symbolize more than just an old, forgotten oculist’s billboard. The eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburgm “dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground” (p.26). These eyes stared down into the valley of ashes where they witnessed the corruption taking place in this “solemn dumping ground.”
           These eyes represent the loss of religious values during the 20s and can be referred to as being the eyes of God them self. George Wilson explicitly points out the eyes as being a symbol for God when he tells Myrtle, “God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!” (p.152) When Wilson utters this it is clear to Michaelis that he is in fact staring at the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg. Both the eyes and these religious views have been neglected in New York and it was all for material wealth. These eyes stare down on the poor people in the valley of ashes on a daily basis, showing that even though they have been unfortunate in establishing a high class for themselves, God is still watching over them.

Can Gatsby Force His Way In?

           In the 1920’s wealth was the American dream, and that was what Gatsby wanted, but the foul dust that trailed in the wake of those dreams did not make wealth simply good during this time. Wealth was often accompanied by casual destruction and cynical violence, in which Gatsby did not let fall upon himself. Through obtaining the amount of money that he did, he could force his way into the flashy, bright and extravagant party scenes in West Egg. He most certainly could force his way into the new money class, but not into the class of old money. As I mentioned in my previous blog the class gap between West Egg and East Egg was larger than Gatsby could have imagined. Even though he was now rich, he could still not rise up to the social status of the ‘old money’ wealth. It can be argued that Gatsby could never rise up to Daisy’s standards of wealth with his ‘new money.’ 
           These ideas of ‘old money’ and ‘new money’ are not as important in society as they used to be. “New money” can now be considered to be a larger accomplishment, as society now praises the people who have risen from nothing. Jay Gatsby could never truly rise up to ‘old money’ standards as he was an honorable, good-hearted man who could never understand the ‘old money’s’ selfish ways.

West Egg Vs. East Egg

           West Egg and East Egg are two different places that divide the new money class from the old money class. There is a huge gap separating the two classes symbolized by the bay located in between the two eggs. This bay symbolizes the distance between Gatsby’s class and Daisy’s. What Gatsby doesn’t understand is that this bay is not only a water barrier but is in fact a barrier of class. The East Egg is where Daisy lives and all the ‘old money’ families live. These people have grown up their whole lives in wealth and can be characterized as more sophisticated and arguably selfish. The West Egg is where Gatsby lives along with all of the ‘new money’ class. All of these people have recently come into money, and can be considered to be more flashy, bright and known to hold more extravagant parties. These people living in the two Eggs are completely defined by their money, as it consumes everyone in the novel except maybe Nick. 

The Weather- Very Symbolic

  The weather in the Great Gatsby plays a significant role in the feelings and emotions of the characters. It is often used to symbolize the characters feelings, and also sets the mood in certain situations. This can be seen in Chapter one when Nick first visits Daisy and Tom. There is a certain optimism around the visit as Nick is starting his new life and meeting new people, “and so it happened on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all” (p.12). However, the wind can also foreshadow the uncertainty and turmoil that these people will cause in Nick’s life. 

  In chapter five the weather really becomes apparent in representing the characters emotions. On the day in which Gatsby and Daisy reunite it was raining heavily, “The day agreed upon was pouring rain” (p. 81). The pouring rain represents Gatsby’s insistent anxiousness and nervousness over this meeting. As the time goes on the rain cools to a damp mist and Gatsby’s feelings become less intense as he begins to believe that Daisy will not show up. “Nobody’s coming to tea. It’s too late!” (p.82). After she arrives however it begins to pour again, “Once more it was pouring,” (p.85) showing Gatsby’s despair as he believes that this reunion was a “terrible mistake,” (p.85). Nick even remarks on this relationship between the weather and characters when he states: “While the rain continued it had seemed like the murmur of their voices, rising and swelling a little now and then with the gusts of emotion” (86). When Nick goes back in he explains Gatsby as glowing and a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room” (86). Gatsby’s great happiness is reflected when “twinkle-bells of sunshine enter the room and he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurring light” (86). When he tells Daisy that the sun has come out she is also overjoyed, “Her throat, full of aching, grieving beauty, told only of her unexpected joy” (87). The sun can directly represent both Daisy and Gatsby’s joy over their successful reunion.

  The weather in chapter seven also significantly represents the emotions felt by the characters. It takes place on the hottest day of the summer, and as this temperature begins to rise so does the tension felt between the characters. The first hint to this tension felt in the hot summer air is when Nick is on his way to the Buchanan’s. When Nick goes to pick up a pocket-book that a woman has accidentally dropped he holds it at an arms length “to indicate that I had no designs upon it,” but everyone around still “suspected me just the same” (109). Daisy’s confusion and anxiety over Gatsby and Tom is first shown in this chapter also, “But it’s so hot, and everything’s so confused. Let’s all go to town! (113). Nick also speaks of this confusion caused by the heat: “ The relentless beating heat was beginning to confuse me” (118). In the hot hotel room Gatsby and Tom have a confrontation and as the heat intensifies so does the tension between the two. On this day the feelings between Daisy and Gatsby are also at their most intense and after this confrontation, the next day the weather begins to cool like their relationship. 

  The beginning of fall represents the death of Gatsby’s dreams between him and Daisy. He tries to hold on to this dream by holding onto the summer in which they loved one another. He doesn’t let the pool boy close the pool and instead decides to go swimming, which represents him not letting go of the summer and their relationship. The fall represents Gatsby’s death and life changes for the characters. In chapter seven Jordan prophesies this when she says: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall” (113). On the day of Gatsby’s funeral it is raining which clearly outlines the sorrow of this day. Even though the weather in the novel does not relate directly towards class, I found it very interesting and could not ignore it in my blog.

Nick Carraway- New York Not For Him?

           One of the qualities of Nick that stood out to me the most in this novel was that he acquired many secrets and bits of information that he kept all to himself. He meets Tom’s mistress but does not mention anything to Daisy about it, and he knows the truth behind who killed Myrtle Wilson but also never says anything. It is hard to tell if this is a good quality or bad quality in him. He describes himself as tolerant, open-minded, quiet and a good listener and “inclined to reserve all judgement,” as a result people often tell him their secrets. Even though Nick is the main character in the novel it seems at times that he is a secondary character. He is never the centre of the action and instead prefers to comment on it. These qualities make him an unsuitable fit for the New York lifestyle. Unlike many of the other people living in the city at this time, Nick finds this lifestyle grotesque. Like Daisy, Nick has also come from a family of money but unlike Daisy he has managed to obtain a conscience, and a common decency about him. His character guides us in between the two extremes of the different classes of West and East Egg. He never truly belongs to either class, therefore, he can never fit into the New York lifestyle and moves back out West at the end of the novel.

Unlike the other characters Nick also isn’t defined by his money. Gatsby offers him a job where money is promised and he denies it, even though his job in the stock business is not earning him much money. He looks deeper into all the characters and does not simply view and define others by their money. “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life” (p.49). Through this quote it becomes clear to the reader that Gatsby himself is appealing to Nick and not just his wealth. Nick does not like or dislike people based on their class and wealth. He looks deeper into people making him a much more dynamic character than all of the others. 

Daisy Buchanan- White or Yellow?

           The colour white is used in the novel to portray Daisy’s innocence, “High in a white palace the king’s daughter,” (p.115) ... she dressed in white and had a little white roadster... (p.73).” But is Daisy truly innocent? Could her name be Daisy for a reason? Lets refer back to my yellow blog post. In this book yellow represents despair, death, corruption and amorality. The colour of a daisy flower has white petals with a yellow centre. Daisy appears innocent and pure on the outside but in reality she is corrupted on the inside. Could her petals have fallen off over the years or were they always there to cover up her true nature?

           Daisy is a very likable character at the beginning of the novel, as one can sympathize with her over Tom’s mistress. However, as the novel goes on Daisy’s sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, and inability to make difficult choices become apparent, and the reader loses their view that Daisy is perfect. Coming from a prominent family in Louisville, Daisy has always known what it feels like to be wealthy. It can be argued that because of this she and Tom are the same. They were both set in their old money ways and her voice is even characterized as “... full of ,money” (p.115). Daisy and Tom can both be characterized as cruel and malicious but are they really? It can be argued that their money has just, in fact made them careless people. “They were carless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...” (p.170). They had known nothing but carless lifestyles their whole wealthy lives, and Daisy understood that money equals power. They put their own needs first, and do not care much about Myrtle, Gatsby, their daughter, or even each other. 
           One of the most interesting quotes from Diasy is this: “I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Through this quote she shows that she is not as oblivious as she would seem. She shows her docility and willingness to conform to the social environment that intelligence is not valued in women. She is also emphasizing her feelings on her marriage. If a women is a fool she would not realize how cruel society really is. If Daisy was more of a fool than perhaps she would have thought love was enough and waited for Gatsby to return from the war. However, she saw that money makes the world go round and even though she did not find true love in Tom, she found power and wealth, two of the most important things in class and society.

The Enchanted Green Light

           The colour green is also a major colour symbol associated within the Great Gatsby as I mentioned in my previous blog. The Green Light Blog is the name of my blog for a reason, as it represents the immense hope felt by Gatsby that motivated him and drove his ambition for wealth. It represents his hope of one day restoring the relationship with Daisy as he stares at this green light at the end of her dock every night. Nick calls this light an “enchanted object” which is true because that is what symbols are in literature and in real life. At the beginning of the novel when Nick first catches sight of Gatsby he is reaching out to the green light but as Nick observes it is “minute and far away.” This alludes that it is almost impossible to reach which is true up until a certain point. After the successful reunion of Daisy and Gatsby in chapter five this enchanted object is no longer unreachable and loses its importance in Gatsby’s life. "Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever....Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one" (p.90). The importance of this symbol to Gatsby is made clear through Nick’s comparison of the light to how America must have looked to the early settlers. “For a transitory, enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent,compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder” (p.171). Gatsby’s wonder of this light that became an enchanted symbol to him shows his hope, but this hope can not always be a reality.

Gold and Yellow- Wealth or Decay?

           The colours yellow and gold are often used to describe wealth and beauty. Take for example the golden  golden youth and golden opportunities. Jordan Baker who is the golden girl of golf can be associated with this colour, “with Jordan’s slender golden arm resting in mine” (p. 44). This colour is used in the book with to describe wealth but is also used as the colour of death. Fitzgerald uses yellow to decouple the ideas of wealth and greatness and instead couples this wealth with corruption, amorality and death. The use of yellow to represent wealth can be associated with the old gold that used to be the form of money, instead of the green money found in America today. This can be related to the green light Gatsby reaches out to so many a night. It can be speculated that Gatsby was not only reaching out to Daisy but out to his hopes of obtaining enough money to make Daisy happy. However, in reaching out to this green light he is reaching out to the wrong colour, which is his new money. Daisy comes from old money and gold is the light, or money she requires. This old money need can then be related back to yellow as a symbol of wealth but also one of despair in this novel.

  This colour is used many times throughout the book and often symbolizes death and foreshadows bad things to come. For one thing, Gatsby’s car is yellow and it was the death machine that ended up killing Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle Wilson’s house is also yellow the place where this horrible event took place. Nick even described the lights in the garage after Myrtle’s death to be yellow, “... the garage, which was lit only by a yellow light in a swinging metal basket overhead” (p.132). The billboard eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg, another major symbol in this novel can also be related back to this colour. The eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg that stare over vast amounts of death and decay in the novel are ringed in a pair of enormous yellow glasses, “They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles...” (p.26). In chapter five of the book when Daisy and Gatsby first meet after many years, Gatsby is wearing a gold tie, the buttons on Daisy’s dress are gold and Nick describes the flowers as smelling like a pale gold, “pale gold odour of the kiss-me-at-the-gate” (p.88). Throughout this reunion Fitzgerald constantly refers back to the colour yellow which in a way can foreshadow the disparity and hopelessness of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship.