The Novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrates many themes and symbols that affect the plot. The setting is in the 1920s on Long Island, New York. The story is told in Nick’s point of view as he goes through life and is faced with themes like The American Dream, Society vs. Class, and corruption with wealth. A symbol is an object, color, or figure that is used to represent a key idea or theme that is trying to be presented. The author uses The Valley of Ashes, T. J Eckleburg, and the "two eggs" to show the symbolic idea of corruption in wealth.
An important symbol in the book was the Valley of Ashes. This was first seen near beginning of the story, when Tom and Nick goes to the Wilson’s.