A symbol which also has a lot of importance in the novel is the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is a long stretch of desolate land between New York and Long Island, created by the dumping of industrial ashes. This symbolises the moral and social decay of society, as the rich strive for money and wealth with no regard to anything but their own pleasure. Again, this symbol was used by Fitzgerald to indicate the deterioration of the “American dream.” As a result, the poor suffer and an imbalance is created between rich and poor. Fitzgerald also presents Valley of Ashes as a symbol to emphasise the troubles of the poor. George Wilson lives here, and seems to lose his vitality as a result. He is described as “a spiritless man” and there is a sense that this has been caused by the conditions he lives in. However, his wife Myrtle carried an “immediately perceptible vitality…” She does not seem to suffer in the same way her husband does, but this could be because of the affair she is having with Tom. This affair allowed her to act wealthy, and wild behaviour thus ensued. The Valley of Ashes is a very effective symbol, because it is visually very easy to relate with. Fitzgerald describes it as “the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it.” The grey and desolate atmosphere Fitzgerald presents us with is therefore an effective symbol, and it sums life on the other side of material prosperity.
Within the Valley of Ashes, there is the billboard of the eyes of Dr Eckleburg. The eyes on the billboard are described as “blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high.” This could be symbolic of God staring down over this area, and condemning it as not only ground for industrial waste, but also as ground for moral waste. However, Fitzgerald never explicitly links them, perhaps suggesting that objects only have meaning because we give them meaning. George Wilson is the only person, while in grief, to liken the eyes to those of God, when he says while looking at the billboard, “God sees everything.” The eyes are an important symbol, because they show how characters in the novel instil objects with meaning, almost as if a vindication to prove what they are doing is right. George Wilson seeks revenge for his wife’s death, and the eyes of Dr Eckleburg provide him with the vindication that he is upholding moral values.
The almost careless decadence of this era is symbolised by cars. There are many references to cars throughout the novel. They symbolise wealth, and also how money, like a car can insulate its owners. Cars symbolise the carelessness of many of the characters wealth throughout the novel. For example, Owl Eyes crashes his car, and then remarks, “I know very little about driving.” Daisy, while driving Gatsby car, kills Myrtle Wilson. Fitzgerald uses cars as a symbol for the carelessness of wealth in the 1920s to represent how after the shock of violence and chaos of World War One, many people experienced economic prosperity. However, this wealth can be seen to be squandered by people who, from a reaction to relative economic decline, turned to wild living to compensate. Cars are an effective symbol in the novel because they serve the purpose of alerting the reader to the thoughtless attitudes the rich displayed to material possessions.
Fitzgerald also uses weather as a major symbol in the novel. For example the reconciliation of Daisy and Gatsby after five years. When they first meet, the tension is palpable, after many years of not seeing each other. This is demonstrated by the line, “A pause; it endured horribly.” The weather as this point is pouring rain, which in itself creates an awkward and downhearted setting. However, once the sun comes out, their love seems to reawaken. Weather is once again presented in Gatsby’s confrontation with Tom and Daisy. This confrontation took place on “certainly the warmest [day], of the summer.” The heat is a symbol for the fiery confrontation that takes place between Daisy, Gatsby and Tom. The humidity of the day could also be a symbol of how Daisy feels suffocated by Gatsby, when she says, “I love you now-isn’t that enough?” Weather is also used as a symbol when Wilson kills Gatsby. Gatsby is floating in his swimming pool, on the first day of autumn, which suggests that it would have been quite cold. The weather here is symbolic, because it shows Gatsby attempt to stop time and restore his relationship with Daisy as it was five years ago. Weather is an effective symbol, because like Shakespeare, the weather unfailingly echoes the narrative tone of the novel.
Geography is also an important symbol in the novel. East Egg represents old money and the aristocracy. Nick says, “His [Tom’s] family were immensely rich…” West Egg therefore represents new wealth and prosperity, and Gatsby lives here. West Egg is also associated with ostentatious wealth, and is described as “the less fashionable of the two.” As mentioned before, the Valley of Ashes represents social decay, and an imbalance between rich and poor. It is described as “grey land” and is very desolate. New York is then presented as the place where this money is accumulated, and therefore is presented as the cause of this social decay. Geography is an important symbol in the novel, and it is very effective, because it gives the social standing of characters, just from where they live. It is also an important symbol, because it highlights the differences between the social classes, which would have been an important theme in the 1920s.
In conclusion, Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism in the novel is very effective. He uses his symbols to implicitly steer the reader’s attention to the point he is trying to make. The main themes of “The Great Gatsby” are the degradation of the “American dream” and the relative hollowness of the upper classes. Fitzgerald uses symbolism in the novel very effectively to explore these themes, and to highlight his apprehension about the materialist wealth and almost amorality, at a time when America could foresee no trouble in its future.
