The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Key Quotes

Introduction to the Setting:

“This is the valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens…” The valley of ashes symbolises the moral and social decay that results from the uncontrolled pursuit of wealth. The people and places have been neglected and corrupted.

Descriptions of Characters:

“She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her flesh sensuously as some women can.” This descriptive sentence characterises Myrtle’s sensuality and her tendency towards excess that matches the extravagant lifestyle she aspires to.
“A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit and his pale hair as it veiled everything in the vicinity—except his wife, who moved close to Tom.” George Wilson is presented as a victim of his environment, marked by the desolation and dust, contrasting sharply to the immaculate Tom Buchanan.
“He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly.” The canny depiction of Gatsby hints at his persuasive charm and the secret knowledge he shares with Nick, adding depth and intrigue to his character.

Introduction to Themes:

“I married him because I thought he was a gentleman…I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe.” This remark by Myrtle reveals class snobbery and the importance of social status, further illustrating the divide between characters based on their social standing.
“The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river…where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.” This emblematic depiction introduces themes of decay, desolation and the negative aftermath of unfulfilled dreams experienced by many characters.

Use of Symbolism:

“I bought her a dog – a little spree it was in the air.” The dog obtained impulsively by Tom for Myrtle epitomises materialism and recklessness prevalent in the society of the 1920s. The dog also mirrors Myrtle, both being under Tom’s control and treated as objects of consumption.