Chapter 2

• ‘This is the Valley of Ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens” - Consumed by the dust. Overly concentrated West Egg leaves this valley in ruins.
• “Ash grey men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” Wealth is concentrated in prestigious areas. Their lives are already concluded - no hope.
• “The eyes of Doctor TJ Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor TJ Eckleburg are blue and gigantic”

  Critic William Goldhurst believes that Eckleburg’s presence in the novel is to “symbolise some implacable deity`’ judging the upper classes.

  Eckleburg is part of an advert that stands at the top of the VOA. Watching down on the “Wasteland” below, as the VOA has strong references to TS Eliot’s poem “Wasteland” 
• The industrial revolution birthed a wave of adverts to appear in New York, for new products created by the revolution. 
• “They loom out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles” - Contrasts the rose tinted spectacles that the upper class look from. Yellow a more dingy, and rotten colour signifies a judgement of the class difference occurring in New York.
• "Taking hold of my elbow" "Literally forced me from the car" "I want you to meet my girl" Cacophony of brutality. Harsh sounds and actions utilised by Fitzgerald here.
• "The only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford" - Even though the car is a symbol of the American Dream, it is also a symbol of the American Dream gone wrong, and abandoned. Henry Ford was a popular entrepreneur in the early 20th century and here it is covered in dust, with no prosperity in GWs garage.
• "Blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his eyes" - Hopeless, the dust has consumed him.
• "She carried her flesh sensuously as some women can" - Trying to exploit her body for attention and recognition.
• "Dark blue crepe de chine" Contrasts to Jordan and Daisy's white dresses - First hint at Fitzgerald utilisation of nepotism. Myrtle will never be as good/as accepted as those born into wealth.
• "Perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering" The same "Romantic readiness" that Gatsby has. Myrtle and Gatsby both obvious social climbers
• "Walking through her husband as if he were a ghost" - George is a shadow of a man compared to Tom
• Methods of seduction by Myrtle: "Carried her flesh sensuosly" "Looking him flush in the eye" "Wet her lips" "Soft, coarse voice"
• Looking Tom "flush" in his "arrogant and "shining" eyes tells us that Myrtle understands how to get to Tom's riches. To seduce him and entertain his "floating" soul.
• "Changed her dress to a brown figured muslin" - Transforming from a VOA girl to a New York Woman. Symbolises how she needs to change herself to fit the role that Tom wants her to be like.
• "Town tattle" "Cold cream" "Small flask of perfume" All adds to her changing persona unfolding. The magazine - gossip, consumerism, advertising. All central to New York. Cold cream - possibly trying to cleanse herself from the valley of ashes. Moisturising the ash that may be on her skin. Small flask of perfume - To seduce, attract.
• "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it" - Very transparent, artificial and fleeting.
• "Elaborate after non dress of cream coloured chiffon" - Again, changing her dress to attract attention and fit the part.
• "As she expanded, the room grew smaller around her" - Myrtle is more empowered around Tom and her friends - suggests possibly there is a naturality to her character in West Egg.
• "It's just a crazy old thing... I just slip it on when i dont care what i look like" Trying to play off her appearance as timeless but lots of affect has gone into her look in reality.
• "They saw he's a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm's" Gatsby's lore is proving ubiquitous. Fitzgerald cleverly builds up his muthical background to evoke a sense of mystery and intrigue to his character. He's always god like the way there is so many theories surrounding him, and his parties are worshipped. Adds to the notion that Gatsby is a god of Mammon"
• "I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe" Arrogance
• 'I wanted to get out and walk eastward toward the park through the soft twilight, but each time i tried to go i became entangled in some wild strident argument" - Nick is an outsider and feels lonely amongst these elites. "The casual watcher in the darkening streets, and i saw him too, looking up and wondering. I was within and without" Stuck amidst this mess.
• "Everytime he looked at me i had to pretend i was looking at the advertisement over his head" TJ Eckleburg - Myrtle picking the foreground, the thrill, the excitement, the obvious anwer, over her morality and loyalty. The right decision goes entirely over Tom and Myrtle's head, quite literally, they do not see the importance of morality.
• "I'll say it whenever i want Daisy! Dai- " "Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand" Tom retaliates when myrtle makes fun of Daisy and mocks him. He does not do the same when Daisy mocks him.