Nick meets Tom's mistress, Myrtle, and her sister. Describe each of these characters and comment on their function in the novel.
Myrtle is Mr. Wilson's wife and Tom's mistress. She is described as being sensuous, and as having a soft coarse voice and a large body type, as she has surplus flesh, wide hips and a thickish figure. She often speaks with passion and in a high pitched tone. Her personality and her appearance change once she leaves Wilson's garage and arrives at the apartment. She is initially described as having a perceptible vitality. However, once she arrives at the apartment, her vitality is exchanged for haughtiness and pride and her behaviour becomes violent and obscene. Her laughter is described as pointless and artificial, and she often shouts. She is even said to be expanding. Similarly, her dress progressively becomes more complex in design and lighter in colour.
Catherine, Myrtle's sister, is described as having a small body type, as she is slender. She also has a milky white complexion, red hair, and a blurred air to her face. Myrtle states that her sister is “said to be very beautiful by people who ought to know". Unlike her sister, Catherine doesn't drink alcohol and is for the most part calm.
Myrtle and Catherine have distinct functions within the novel. Myrtle represents excess and recklessness while her sister represents modesty and conservatism. Their large and small body types are indicative of this. Also, as Myrtle moves from the valley of ashes to downtown New York, her dresses gradually become more complicated and lighter, which symbolizes the illustrious and carefree nature of high society. She also spends a lot of money on frivolous things, becomes haughty and proud, and laughs in a pointless and artificial manner, which implies that high society is inane and superficial. Myrtle's character is also heavily sexualized, and she drinks alcohol. On the hand, Catherine is more modest and does not drink. Although Catherine, in contrast to her sister, who possesses "no facet or gleam of beauty", is said to be beautiful, Mr. McKee has no interest in photographing her. However, he does express interest in photographing Myrtle. This represents the popular notion that high society is refined and dignified, and that it is something that should be coveted. In reality, high society is corrupt and insincere.
Ariel
Tags: Myrtle, Valley of Ashes
Showing posts with label Valley of Ashes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valley of Ashes. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Group 3 - Question 2
Question: #2 How are the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg described? What do they symbolize?
The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are described as, " blue and gigantic- their retinas one yard high. They look out no face, rather, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non existent nose." The eyes are actually a billboard in which an oculist set up in order to fatten his business, before he had left. (Pg. 24)
Symbolically, Doctor Eckleburgs' eyes are commonly conceptualized as an allusion of "God" and the Eye of Providence (all seeing eye). This symbolic view of the eye's is stated amongst many scholars as being watchful of "the corrupt materialism and infedelity,"* in which the characters begin to display. The connection between the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg and "God" is that "God" watches over all the reprehensible proceedings in the world, just as the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg were said to persistently watch over Tom and Nick, whilst on their way to visit Myrtle- Tom's mistress. (pg. 24) Amongst the allusion of the symbolism behind the eyes, the inference that the realization of the transition away from proper moral values and into illicit actions is expressed through the idea of the eyes watching over the wrong-doings and corruption pertaining to the Valley of Ashes. Tom and Myrtle's affair further expresses this transition into illicit conduct. Nick's statement about the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg persistently staring, connects the eyes to the idea of "God's" perpetual heed for the unscrupulous and nefarious conduct of humanity.
Tags:
Myrtle
Tom
Nick
Valley of Ashes
*sourced from http:// www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/discuss/eyes-dr-t-j-Eckleburg-3385
The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are described as, " blue and gigantic- their retinas one yard high. They look out no face, rather, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non existent nose." The eyes are actually a billboard in which an oculist set up in order to fatten his business, before he had left. (Pg. 24)
Symbolically, Doctor Eckleburgs' eyes are commonly conceptualized as an allusion of "God" and the Eye of Providence (all seeing eye). This symbolic view of the eye's is stated amongst many scholars as being watchful of "the corrupt materialism and infedelity,"* in which the characters begin to display. The connection between the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg and "God" is that "God" watches over all the reprehensible proceedings in the world, just as the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg were said to persistently watch over Tom and Nick, whilst on their way to visit Myrtle- Tom's mistress. (pg. 24) Amongst the allusion of the symbolism behind the eyes, the inference that the realization of the transition away from proper moral values and into illicit actions is expressed through the idea of the eyes watching over the wrong-doings and corruption pertaining to the Valley of Ashes. Tom and Myrtle's affair further expresses this transition into illicit conduct. Nick's statement about the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg persistently staring, connects the eyes to the idea of "God's" perpetual heed for the unscrupulous and nefarious conduct of humanity.
Tags:
Myrtle
Tom
Nick
Valley of Ashes
*sourced from http:// www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/discuss/eyes-dr-t-j-Eckleburg-3385
Saturday, 20 October 2012
Group 4 - Question 5
Eyes continue to appear as a pattern of imagery, a motif, used to convey a message. Explain the symbolism of the eyes in the novel.
Answer
The eyes in the novel are represented through the big billboard with the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. They stand for god’s eyes and symbolise that god is always watching over them. Wilson says to Michealis “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God” and also he adds “God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God” (Pg159) this shows that Wilson believed in god and knew that he was always watching. Right after this conversation Michaelis looks with shock at the eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg watching over them, this portrays that the eyes see everything which happens in the novel. Also, the billboard is located in the Valley of Ashes and is described as being blue, which stands for hope, meaning there is some hope in midst of the grey and dull valley of ashes. Also to go from East Egg to New York or West Egg the characters always had to cross the valley of ashes, where - the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are located, this suggests that they were always watching over the characters in the novel, they knew that Daisy killed Myrtle and they knew that Wilson’s wife was cheating on him.
Nayaelah
Answer
The eyes in the novel are represented through the big billboard with the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. They stand for god’s eyes and symbolise that god is always watching over them. Wilson says to Michealis “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God” and also he adds “God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God” (Pg159) this shows that Wilson believed in god and knew that he was always watching. Right after this conversation Michaelis looks with shock at the eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg watching over them, this portrays that the eyes see everything which happens in the novel. Also, the billboard is located in the Valley of Ashes and is described as being blue, which stands for hope, meaning there is some hope in midst of the grey and dull valley of ashes. Also to go from East Egg to New York or West Egg the characters always had to cross the valley of ashes, where - the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are located, this suggests that they were always watching over the characters in the novel, they knew that Daisy killed Myrtle and they knew that Wilson’s wife was cheating on him.
Nayaelah
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The opening paragraphs of chapter two describe the valley of ashes. The valley is the complete opposite of other places in the book. In fact, the only colour used to describe it is grey, a colour associated with loss or depression. The diction and other rhetorical devices used in the description make the valley seem like a negative or bad dream. It is described as a “fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens”. At first, the valley is described as fantastic but then it is described as grotesque and grey, which gives the valley a sense of deterioration, comparable to the American dream. The atmosphere in the valley of ashes is vapid, careless, poor and bleak.
The eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg are also described in these paragraphs. These eyes are “unblinking” and one yard high which gives the impression of always being watched. The colours used to describe the eyes and the glasses are yellow and blue. These colours can have a negative connotation. Blue can mean sickness and power. Yellow can also mean jealousy, decay and sickness. Also, the oculist who made the eyes is said to be a “wild wag” that once used the eyes to “fatten” his practices. The diction makes the idea seem to fit in with the American dream of the time. However, now the eyes are “solemn” and “dimmed”, which gives a sense of deterioration and carelessness.
The atmosphere up to this point of the novel is glamorous, rich and lively. In the valley, the atmosphere is dead, poor and dirty, the opposite of the first chapter. This could again signify the deterioration of the American dream.
Ryan Bell