It represents the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.
The valley of ashes is the land between NYC and West Egg. It symbolizes the working class. A billboard with a pair of bright blue eyes wearing glasses looks over the valley of ashes. They symbolize the wealthy, bright, vibrant life looking down on the working class.
The valley of ashes symbolizes the moral and social decay resulting from the unhindered pursuit of wealth. It is where the rich indulge themselves in the total pursuit of their own pleasure. It represents absolute poverty, hopelessness and spiritual and moral barrenness – a place of gray desolation.
It is a desolate industrial wasteland, bounded on one side by "a small foul river". Fitzgerald uses an agricultural image to stress its barren nature through contrast: "a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens".
The Valley of Ashes is an unpleasant place that reveals the dark side of American society in the 1920s. Ultimately, it represents the breakdown of morality caused by extreme wealth inequality. It is in stark contrast to settings such as East Egg, West Egg, and Manhattan.Sep 28, 2021
Described as "a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges” (Fitzgerald 23), the Valley of Ashes represents the lower class and poverty. It is a “solemn dumping ground" (Fitzgerald 23), symbolizing the upper class destruction and the way they exploit the hard working "ash-gray men" (Fitzgerald 23).
The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2 Summary. Nick describes the "valley of ashes" that is the area between the rich suburb of West Egg and Manhattan. This is the gray and dirty part of the borough of Queens that you drive through to get from Long Island to NYC.Jan 13, 2020
Chapter 2 begins with a description of the valley of ashes, a desolate and forsaken expanse of formerly developed land that marks the intersection of the city with the suburbs. In addition to its desolate feel and uniform grayness, this forlorn area is home to a decaying billboard that calls attention to itself.