The Great Gatsby. Pages 23 - 38

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

At the beginning of chapter two, we see a different side to the beauty and wealth of the Eggs. In between the two Eggs, there lies a desolate wasteland where nothing grows. Later we will find out that this area is a product of industrialism. In this chapter of the book, we are introduced to poorer characters of the story. In explaining the billboard depicting Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, Fitzgerald leaves the symbolism up to interpretation. This is a strategy that I expect to see throughout the book. We are introduced to two more characters in this section of the book, George and Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is Tom's lover and Tom seems to have control over what she says and does. Myrtle joins Tom and Nick on a train to go to New York City. New York is vastly different from the setting of the West Egg, East Egg, or the desolate valley. There are several more secondary characters that are thrown into the mix. I expect most of them, aside from Myrtle Wilson, to disappear into the background.

"''You can't live forever, you can't live forever ''"(Fitzgerald, 36).