Fitzgerald begins the chapter with a vivid description of the valley of ashes to show its contrast to Tom’s opulent party. Fitzgerald has Nick’s description lack colour as he describes the ‘ash-grey men’ walking through the ‘grey land’ as ‘rising smoke’ crumbles through the ‘powdery air’. The lack of colour imagery gives the impression the area is the poor result of an economic boom, and is highlighted by Fitzgerald’s use of the ‘solemn dumping ground’. Fitzgerald does this to establish the setting of America in the 1920s, showing that Gatsby’s rich life is a complete opposite to those living in the valley of ashes. The imagery of ‘an over-enlarged photograph’ and ‘a set of tapestried furniture’ at Tom’s apartment is a stark contrast to the valley of ashes, and is used to display the divergence of wealth in America. Fitzgerald uses Nick’s narration for an authorial intrusion, having him claim ‘all they think of is money’ to show the materialistic nature of Tom Buchanan and society. Nick’s focus on materialism throughout his narrative allows the reader to see that ‘The Great Gatsby’ is an American Tragedy, with Fitzgerald suggesting Gatsby’s downfall occurs because of society’s fixation on the American Dream.
