Susy Jolomna

Ms. Von Holst

Period: 5
30 October 2014
The Great Gatsby
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author contrasts two important settings
throughout the story. The valley of ashes and New York City are very close to each other but are
also very different. The Great Gatsby shows the valley of ashes and New York City are mainly
made up of two different classes in society.
The valley of ashes is described as a place where the motor road meets the railroad.
Where grey- covered men work hard to get their money. And it is also where Toms mistress,
Myrtle Wilson, lives with her husband, George Wilson. The text states, The valley of ashes is
bounded on one side by a small foul river, and when the drawbridge is up to let barges through,
the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour. It was
because of this that I first met Tom Buchanans mistress (Fitzgerald 28). This quote shows that
even passengers on the train had the chance to witness the sad view of the valley by stopping the
train there. It also shows that Toms mistress of lower class happens to live there. I married him
because I thought he was a gentleman, I thought he knew something about breading but he
wasnt fit enough to lick my shoe (Fitzgerald 39). Myrtle only married Tom because she
thought he was able to make it into upper class but ended up living in a garage in the valley. In
hopes that Tom would leave Daisy and bring her to an upper class society with him.

Nick Caraway gets the chance to meet with Gatsby and Meyer. Wolfshiem, who both
happen to be millionaires in New York City for lunch. Gatsby and Wolfshiem are both of upper
class so it would only make sense that they were able to hit the bars in the city. Gatsby tells Nick
a little about Wolfshiem, he says, Meyer Wolfshiem? No hes a gambler. Hes the man who
fixed the Worlds Series back in 1919 (Fitzgerald 78). This quote shows that Wolfshiem was a
business man, a man who had to have enough money to fix a game in the World Series. They
also receive a surprise visit from Tom Buchanan. As the waiter brought my change I caught
sight of Tom Buchanan across the crowded room (Fitzgerald 78). Finding Tom at a bar in the
city did not seem strange to Nick. Tom was of upper class and it would only make sense to find
him in the city.
All in all, Fitzgerald makes the point across that these two neighboring locations
happened to maintain two different social classes. Myrtle and George live in the valley of ashes.
And Wolfshiem, Gatsby and Tom hang out a lot in the city of New York. This shows the
different societies have their boundaries. Fitzgerald talks about how poor boys dont marry rich
girls. That statement apparently went to Myrtle as well when she was having an affair with Tom
who didnt see her as he saw his wife Daisy.