Discussion Forum # 4: Setting
The reader is introduced to East Egg and West Egg in chapter one and The Valley of Ashes at the start of chapter two. What do you notice about the description of The Valley of Ashes? Based on the description, how is it different from the other settings of the text? What might the Valley of Ashes represent? Why does the setting then change to New York City? What is the significance of all of the different settings of the novel? You must use evidence from the text to support your response.
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ReplyDeleteEast egg and West egg are very rich and fashionable places to live. The valley of ashes is the opposite of that and that is explained by the quote, "a fantastic farm where ashes take the form of houses and chimneys and rising smoke" (Fitzgerald 23). The overall vibe of the valley of ashes is an eerie and dusty place with a mood that is depressing. It is very unlike East and West egg which has more of an upbeat and clean feeling to it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you James that the West and East egg are very high and fashionable and they do express that in the book and also explain he difference between the two. I also agree with you that the Valley of Ashes is the opposite because it is not as nice, its dirty and not nearly as rich and fashionable as the West and East egg's
DeleteThe Valley of Ashes is described as a place halfway between west egg and New York city where the land ruin. The book describes the air as filled with smoke and smog. On page 23 it says, "This is a valley of ashes a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of house and chimneys and rising smoke..." Men covered in grey ash are seen in this area. While other places are described as beautiful landscapes, the valley of ashes is not a nice place to live. I think the Valley of Ashes represents the lower class people who don't live in nice places and have low paying labor jobs. Also on page 23 it says, "... the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud... I think the setting quickly changes to New York city to show that the rich people don't like to think about the Valley of Ashes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jack that the Valley of ashes is described as a much lower society. The men are dressed in grey ash literally meaning they are dirty from their hard work where as the men from West Egg and East Egg are dressed in suits from much easier work. I also agree with Jack that the setting quickly changes from the Valley of Ashes to New York City because the rich people don't feel the need to describe the Valley of Ashes in great detail. They are not worth their time.
DeleteI agree, I thought the transition was to help illustrate how unaffected they are
DeleteThe Valley of Ashes is unlike both West and East Egg. West and East Egg both have money except they differ in the way they portray their wealth and have different ideas about many concepts. However, the valley of ashes is described with no luxuries language. The narrator does not have much reaction when explaining this area. The valley of ashes is peculiar to me because in the novel it says, ¨This is a valley of 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 trascendent effort, of men who movve dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air¨(Fitzgerald 23). This area is a farm and can only be seen as having a set amount of status comparing to both East and West Eggs. It also mentions the imense amount of smoke and the men who can be imagined as being very tired. According to the description given, I think the Valley of the Ashes is where the people that have no money live. The men are described as tired, dirty and unlike lavish men. New York city is also suddenly mentioned in the novel when ¨I (Nick) went to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon and when we stopped by the ashheaps he jumped to his feet and, taking hold of my elbow, literally forced me from the car. New York City is where Tom's mistress Myrtle lives and at this moment is the first time the novel shows the relationship between Tom and his Myrtle. The novel has multiple settings showing the significance of each place in terms of wealth of where characters live.
ReplyDeleteI agree with with what you wrote. I also think that the narrator portraits The valley of ashes as a places where people with no money or little money live. The author didn't use fashionable descriptions with the valley of ashes as he did with the West and East egg.
DeleteIn chapter two the narration begins with describing the setting of the Valley of Ashes. It describes it as "a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens" (Fitzgerald 23). The description of the valley makes it sound whimsical by the description of how the ashes grow, so when I first read the text I did think that the valley of ashes would be a spooky location. However, the location is different from East and West Egg because Nick gives descriptions opposite to the glitz and glam of East Egg, and the unfashionable rich West egg. Valley of ashes seem dull and polluted by Nick describing as "ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke" (Fitzgerald 23). In my opinion I think this location is foreshadowing something unusual will happen because when Nick was waiting for Tom at the station Tom's mistress came along.In conclusion, the significance of all the location the author used are to resemble how different each location is to compare and contrast characters in the book based on where they came from.
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