At the beginning of chapter two, Fitzgerald shows a change in the language he uses. In chapter one, the hallway of Buchanan's house had been described as "a bright rose-coloured space".

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        At the beginning of chapter two, Fitzgerald shows a change in the language he uses.  In chapter one, the hallway of Buchanan’s house had been described as “a bright rose-coloured space”.  In contrast, this “desolate piece of land” is described as “a valley of ashes” which perceives the image of a city built from a material which had been created as a result of destruction.  Fitzgerald’s description of this piece of land as “a fantastic farm” and the image of ashes growing like wheat is ironic because farms and wheat are associated with growth and preserving life whilst ashes signify the end of life. In this particular sentence, Fitzgerald creates a feeling of breathlessness by the repetition of the word “and”, the continual use of commas and beginning the final clause with “finally” as if the description has reached its climax.  The sentence seems to crumbles away, mirroring the ash-grey men who are “already crumbling through the powdery air”.

        The valley of ashes symbolises the inevitable passing of this “desolate piece of land” whether travelling between New York and Long Island by car or by train.  It is an inescapable reality because of the halt “of at least half a minute” which always takes place when passing this scene on the train.  In the description of this place, Fitzgerald uses a lot of adjectives associated with the colour grey.  The word “ashes” is repeated many times to describe various objects and people. The men in this valley of ashes are described as “ash-grey men” who use “leaden spades” to “stir up an impenetrable cloud”.  This “impenetrable cloud” suggest the presence of a lot of dust or ashes to make up this cloud, which adds to the image, created by Fitzgerald, that this “desolate piece of land” is a city made up of ashes.  

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        Another image that is important in this passage are the eyes of Dr.T.J.Eckleburg which are described as “blue and gigantic”.  The colour blue is repeatedly referred to throughout the novel and it suggests unhappiness and emptiness.  The eyes of Dr.T.J.Eckleburg could be seen as empty because it looks “out of no face” and his spectacles “pass over a non-existent nose”.  His spectacles are “enormous” and “yellow”, yellow is another colour Fitzgerald uses throughout the novel.  It seems to create a sense of hope and happiness in contrast to the emptiness and unhappiness of the colour blue.  The eyes could be ...

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