George Wilson In The Great Gatsby

📌Category: Books, The Great Gatsby
📌Words: 1160
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 16 January 2022

George Wilson in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby represents the underprivileged society which faces major inequalities due to low economic status. Most of the poor do not have the chance of becoming rich because of their inescapable living environments and their dependence on others.

A person’s place in society relies heavily on where that person lives. Wilson lives in the desolate and poor valley of the ashes which in turn emphasizes his insignificance. The valley of the ashes is the poor industrial area located between West Egg and Manhattan. It is first mentioned in the novel in chapter two and is described as, “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens 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.” (Fitzgerald 23) The valley of the ashes is seen as the exact opposite of the places the rich abide, which is emphasized in chapter one showing the freshness and “glittering” beauty of the world of East and West Egg. (5) The factories in the valley of the ashes pollute the area making a “grotesque” vision compared to the beautiful and shiny Egg countryside. The beauty of the natural world is forgotten and covered up by the abundant pollution of the ashes. As well as polluting the beauty of the world, the ashes pollute the whole of society as well. Wilson, the poor man who lives in the valley of the ashes, is presented with “a white ashen dust veiled his dark suit and his pale hair as it veiled everything in the vicinity.” (26) The men working in the valley of the ashes are immersed into this over-abundant amount of ash which sucks in everything including them. The workers, as well as Wilson himself, and the surrounding environment are both decaying because of this pollution: both are dirty, lonely, and forgotten. Similarly, the rich and the strivers in West and East Egg represent the top of society. In the last moments of Gatsby’s life, Nick embellishes that, “he must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass. A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about . . . like that ashen, fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees.” (161) The rich constantly ignore the valley of the ashes and the people living there. The region of the valley of the ashes, with all its factories and factory men, is covered in ash and is the byproduct of high-class societies. Those who cannot make it to the top, struggle and are left in the valley of the ashes with hopelessness. The valley of ashes creeps along and keeps everyone succumbed and locked in place. Wilson, the ashen figure, is also stuck in the valley of the ashes. Wilson’s uninspiring and depressing self directly reflects the valley of the ashes and in turn, the valley of the ashes reflects on him and keeps him stuck in this state of despair. 

From the beginning of the novel, Wilson is portrayed as hardworking even though he lives in the worst area of the novel, the valley of the ashes. Wilson is stuck in the valley of the ashes, so the only thing he can do is work to get enough money to leave the valley of the ashes. Throughout the novel, the reader sees that Myrtle is Wilson’s reason to live. His whole being is to provide for his wife. For instance, the novel portrays him as, “generally he was one of these worn-out men: when he wasn't working he sat on a chair in the doorway and stared at the people and the cars that passed along the road. When anyone spoke to him he invariably laughed in an agreeable, colorless way. He was his wife’s man and not his own.” (136) Nick portrays Wilson’s meekness to his wife. Wilson is dependent on Myrtle with his whole being of happiness. Without Myrtle, Wilson would be dead. Additionally, this description illustrates the phenomenon of social mobility. All the rich folk never stop at the valley of the ashes, they only pass through. The valley of the ashes is conveniently centered between two wealthy places. Similarly, all the characters in the book are driving about, except for Wilson. He is stuck in the valley of the ashes and is not shown to move anywhere. One can imagine that a person who can afford to move out of the valley of the ashes does so, and the reader can see that this is also what Wilson wants. When Wilson finds out that his wife, his sole purpose for living, is cheating on him, Wilson’s desperation to get out of the valley of the ashes increases. However, Wilson still needs to depend on the rich. Wilson, ironically, relies on getting the money to move west from Tom Buchanon, the man who is causing all of his sufferings and having an affair with Myrtle. Wilson declares, “And now she’s [Myrtle] going whether she wants to or not. I’m going to get her away.” (123) Wilson finally is pushed to his limit and his need to leave the valley of the ashes is clearer than ever. Myrtle married Wilson because she thought that he had money, but when she found out he borrowed a suit for his wedding, Myrtle felt betrayed. Myrtle has an affair with Tom because she wants Tom’s money. Wilson now has a true incentive to get away from the valley of the ashes and Tom, but the only thing stopping him is money. At the beginning of the novel, the reader can see Wilson’s expression when he sees Tom, “a damp gleam of hope sprung to his light blue eyes.” (15). Wilson is dependent on the wealthy to survive, however, Tom plays games with Wilson. He threatens Wilson, “maybe I’d better sell it elsewhere after all.” (25) Tom does not actually care about Wilson; however, Wilson is completely dependent on Tom. Tom threatens the deal between him and Wilson and tells him he will sell his car to some other garage. The only reason Tom is doing this is that he can and in doing so, Tom demonstrates the power rich people have. Wilson will continue to suck up to the wealthy because that is the only way to get money. Not only is Wilson stuck in the valley of the ashes, but he also relies too heavily on the wealthy who are selfish.

As seen, the valley of the ashes and George Wilson show the effect money has on American society. The valley of the ashes is a very poor and depressing place which expresses how Wilson is lonely and forgotten. Everyone in the valley of the ashes is trying to get out, including Wilson, but they depend on the wealthy. The valley of the ashes keeps Wilson stuck in an immovable position of low wealth. In America, the valley of the ashes is similar to current day ‘slums,’ in which people try to get out of but depend on others who do not care about them. Today, the valley of the ashes can also be seen in food insecurity and piles of debt from income inequality that limits social mobility.

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