Gastby - key symbols

Question 1

what does the Valley of Ashes symbolise

Answer 1

waste left behind in the pursuit of wealth

Question 2

Valley of Ashes and its characters

Answer 2

the wilsons are collateral damage in the wake of the Buchanans’ elitist, immoral pursuits

Question 4

what does TJ Eckleburg advertise

Answer 4

optician service - symbolic of the blindness of wealth-chasing

Question 5

TJ Eckleburg’s faded appearance

Answer 5

only George is concerned with the consequences of actions - faded morality

Question 6

in a time of fierce capitalistic gains, many Americans..

Answer 6

abandoned their religious morality in pursuit of personal pleasure. The billboard serves as a reminder of God’s watchful eyes

Question 7

Even George wilson, who..

Answer 7

believed that God’s eyes were watching down from the billboard, eventually breaks down and commits an immoral act by murdering Jay Gatsby

Question 8

Gatsby opening his arms towards the light

Answer 8

“tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further” - the American dream is never achievable