The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1384 Words

The Great Unattainable Dream Riddled with love, passion, and dismay, The Great Gatsby, set in 1922, is a widely known and critiqued novel in which the characters feverishly attempt to accomplish their dreams, move up the social ladder, and pursue their love interests. The novel s main purpose, at first glance, appears to be to follow the love interest between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Although the book seems to signify struggle and tragedy for the lovers, the entirety of the book is imbedded with a completely different idea. Through the course of the book, we follow along through the eyes of Nick Caraway as the world of The Great Gatsby unfolds before our eyes, revealing the true nature of both Gatsby s world and our reality. The†¦show more content†¦Fitzgerald describes the Valley of Ashes as a place where, â€Å"†¦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 thr ough the powdery air† (Fitzgerald 23). This quote demonstrates how despite their superior work ethic, they never progress or advance to a higher social class- they are stuck in the ashes. They slave in the hopes that someday they may escape and rise from the ashes, but no one ever does. Covered in charcoal dust, their bodies are consumed and hidden in darkness, symbolizing the suppression of their hopes and their American Dreams. Inside the Valley of Ashes comes Myrtle- another symbol for the unattainability of the American Dream. Myrtle Wilson is married to her husband, George Wilson, who lacks her satisfaction because he possess no riches. They reside, unhappily, in the Valley of Ashes together. Showing how unhappy she is with her husband, Myrtle says, â€Å"â€Å"I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out. ‘Oh, is that your suit?â₠¬â„¢ I said. ‘This is the first I ever heard about it.’ But I gave it to him and then I lay down and cried to beat the band all afternoon†Ã¢â‚¬  (Fitzgerald 35). This demonstrates how disappointed Myrtle is that she is not married to a rich man because she so desperately desires riches and