The Great Gatsby

The valley of ashes is introduced to us in chapter two as a symbol of the moral and social decay of American society.
The valley of ashes is depicted as a lifeless "desolate area of land" where "ashes grow like wheat" symbolic to the "crumbling" of American moral and social structures. It is the place where ashes are dumped from industrial waste, representing the actions of the rich and powerful without any regard to others. Another symbol introduced in the second chapter are the eyes of doctor T.J Eckleburg which is an old billboard. However, to George Wilson it becomes a symbol of God's judging eyes on American society. George Wilson is a man who's wife is having an affair and unlike the Buchanans, he does not of the luxury of retreating back into the pleasure of spending. Thus, George uses the eyes of T.J Eckleburg and religion to put meaning back into his meaningless existence.