symbols in the great gatsby chapter 1 and two

There is danger in doing so in that material possessions do not last forever, but also unnecessary possessions sometimes control or distract us from what is taking place in society if we are constantly obsessed with obtaining more, then we lose sight of what truly matters.

Do individuals still put their value in material possessions today? You don’t have to believe in God to understand the symbolism that Fitzgerald sets up for us it is similar to today in that many people rather put their faith in their possessions, rather than what truly defines them (whether it be their values, ideologies, or some form of spirituality). Eckleburg as a critique on capitalism and 1920s society Americans in the 1920s have replaced God, morals, values and ethics with consumerism, greed, and an obsession for obtaining status and wealth. C onsumerism (hence the advertisement/billboard) has replaced the presence of God in the Valley of Ashes, in that an advertisement overlooks its residents as opposed to God. We also discussed in class that the eyes play an enormous symbol in The Great Gatsby. Brooding suggests that he is looking over the dumping ground in a worried, moody manner this is a further criticism of the Valley of Ashes, in that the eyes do not know what to make of the dumping ground, but clearly they are worried over its existence. Eckleburg “brood on over the solemn dumping ground” (24). It is also important to note that the eyes of Dr.

As Nick explains, the advertisement was put up a long time ago to advertise an optometrist’s practice in Queens. Eckleburg is not a real person, but rather a large, forgotten billboard that overlooks the Valley of Ashes: “They look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose” (23).

Symbols in the great gatsby chapter 1 and two