THE GREAT GATSBY
CHAPTER 2
In today’s lesson we will discuss:
• SETTING – VALLEY OF ASHES AND
NEW YORK
• SYMBOLISM – EYES AND VALLEY OF
ASHES
• CHARACTERISATION – TOM, WILSON,
NICK, MYRTLE
• THEMES – VISION AND AMERICAN
SOCIETY / SHALLOWNESS OF UPPER
CLASS
• STRUCTURE
SETTING – VALLEY OF THE ASHES
• “..a fantastic farm where ashes grow
like wheat into ridges and hills and
grotesque gardens; where ashes take
the forms of houses and chimneys and
rising smoke and, finally, with a
transcendent effort, of ash-grey men,
who move dimly and already crumbling
through the powdery air”
• Task: Consider the word choice used in
this extract – how does it compare
with description of East Egg
(remember connotations).
Points to Consider:
• ‘Wheat’ and ‘gardens’ are associated
with life and nature.‘Ashes’ are dead
and depressing. Combining them
suggests that beauty has been
destroyed.
• Repetition of ‘and’ – creates a long list
of objects made from ash to emphasise
the SCALE of the DECAY and slows the
pace of the sentence emphasising the
trudging drudgery of life.
Points to Consider:
• Image of ‘transcendent effort’ conveys
the way in which all the men’s energy
is taken up just existing. Despite their
struggle to survive, they are ‘already
crumbling’.
Symbolism of Valley of Ashes
• It is a place of poverty that is a dumping
round for all the waste produced by the city.
• It is an ugly by-product of CONSUMERISM
forgotten by the wealthy Egg communities.
• Symbolically it represents the moral and
social decay that results from the pursuit of
wealth and riches. The rich indulge
themselves with no regard for anything but
their own pleasure.
Symbolism of Valley of Ashes
• Its bleak and barren nature provides a
contrast to the loudness and
brightness of NYC and the beautiful
exterior of the two Eggs.
• The residents of the Eggs don’t care –
T. J. Eckleburg’s advertisement looks
out indifferently at the desolation.
Points to Consider:
• The Valley of Ashes could be seen to
symbolise the moral decay which is
hidden beneath the glitzy façade of
East and West Egg – behind this
façade could the same ugliness exist?
• DISCUSSION: Have there been any
indications of moral decay in the first
two chapters?
Setting – New York
• 4TH setting.
• Opposite of the Valley of Ashes
• DISCUSSION: How is this difference
emphasised? Consider the word choice
used in describing elements of New
York e.g. “ ...lavender-coloured with
grey upholstery, and in this we slid out
from the mass of the station into the
glowing sunshine”
Setting – New York
• represents wild, selfish behaviour and
the pursuit of pleasure – illustrated as
it provides a backdrop for Tom and
Myrtle’s affair.
• The drunken debauchery of Myrtle's
party demonstrates the city’s lack of
moral depth. People feel they can act
how they want without fear of the
consequences.
SYMBOLISM –
EYES OF DR T.J. ECKLEBURG
• Literally this advertisement is a realistic
detail of a culture of consumerism found in
1920s America.
• Wilson sees the old optician’s advert as the
eyes of God. Is the suggestion that society
needs its vision correcting in order to see its
faults.
• BUT the faded paint of the eyes symbolise
the extent to which this society has lost its
connection with God – the sign is looking
over the Valley of Ashes just like God.
• LINKS with Theme - vision
Characterisation - TOM
• “bordered on violence”
• “supercilious manner”
• DISCUSSION: What elements of Tom’s
character do these two quotes
emphasise?
• How does Tom wield power over
Wilson? What does this add to our
initial impressions of Tom’s character?
Characterisation - TOM
• Events in this chapter further add to
what we have learned in Chapter 1
about Tom’s character
• “Get on..” emphasises the bossy tone
of his character
• “said Tom decisively” - arrogant and in
charge.
Characterisation - Myrtle
• DISCUSSION: What are your initial
impressions of Myrtle?
• “She was in the middle thirties, and
faintly stout, but she carried her flesh
sensuously as some women can”
• “She smiled slowly and, walking
through her husband as if he were a
ghost, shook hands with Tom, looking
him flush in the eyes”
• TASK: How does Myrtle behave when
away from the Valley and in New York?
• Myrtle’s behaviour in New York links
with the theme of vision and
appearances
• She is very concerned with creating an
impression of an upper class woman,
“Throwing a regal homecoming glance
around the neighbourhood...and went
haughtily in.”
• “I married him because I thought he
was a gentleman”
• “...he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe.”
• “I knew right away I made a mistake.”
• “...I lay down and cried to beat the
band all afternoon.”
• DISCUSSION: Does the reader feel any
sympathy for Myrtle?
TOM AND MYRTLE
• Myrtle believes she is above Wilson
and Tom is a more suited partner.
• Consider if you think Tom would ever
have married Myrtle – remember that
he has lied about Daisy’s religion to
make excuses for staying with his wife.
• Tom’s relationship with her is physical
and material.
Characterisation - Wilson
• Stands in stark contrast to Tom
• He is a handsome and morally upright
man who lacks money, privilege and
vitality.
• DISCUSSION: What are your initial
impressions of Wilson?
• “Spiritless man, anaemic”
• “walking through her husband as if he
were a ghost”
• A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit
• Tom says: “He’s so dumb he doesn’t
know he’s alive”
Characterisation - Nick
• “I wanted to get out and walk
eastward toward the park through soft
twilight, but each time I tried to go I
became entangled in some wild,
strident argument which pulled me
back, as if by ropes, into my chair.”
• DISCUSSION: Does Nick’s behaviour at
the party affect the reader’s
impression of him as a narrator?
Characterisation - Nick
• He is shown to be indecisive in this
section.
• Normally repelled by vulgarity and
tastelessness, but he is too fascinated
to leave.
Though I was curious to see her I had no
desire to meet her (page 30)
• What does this suggest about Nick?
• We are given a hint that he is not a
fully trustworthy narrator:
Everything has a dim hazy cast over it
Structure –
Delayed introduction of Gatsby
• “Well they say he’s the nephew or a
cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s. That’s
where all his money comes from”
• Continues to build an atmosphere of
mystery around Gatsby – no-one has
any real information about him.
Theme - Vision
• Eyes of DR T.J. Eckleburg – do they
represent God staring down upon
society and judging American society
as a moral wasteland?
• DISCUSSION: How important are
appearances in The Great Gatsby?
How does this link into the theme of
Vision? Are appearances deceiving in
any way?
• “The little dog was sitting on the table
looking with blind eyes through the
smoke, and from time to time groaning
faintly”
• Again we see the idea of distorted
vision.
• This quote also links to the theme
Shallowness of the Upper Classes
• Material possessions are tossed aside
when people are finished with them.
Theme- Shallowness of the American
Upper Classes
• Myrtle bought the dog to create a
certain appearance.
• Once the dog had served its purpose,
Myrtle no longer had a need for it.
• This is endemic of the whole of
American Society at the time.
Theme – American Society
• The Wilsons live where they work
• They have a lower social standing than
Nick because he lives in the Suburbs.
• The very rich (Buchanans, etc) do not
appear to work and can live where
they choose.
• Fitzgerald is emphasising here that
America, despite its claim of
democratic equality, is a society split in
to a number of social classes based on
wealth and property.