# data[].attributes.body
“She smiled slowly”. The “s” sound makes the smile sound fake and forced. Sound like a snake with the s sound. Used as her love to Tom is fake as she only sees him as a way to move up in the world

# data[].attributes.body
‘Blond, spiritless man’ - pre modifiers ‘spiritless’ - dead inside, beaten down by lifestyle and system.
‘Damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes’  - pre-modifier ‘damp’ - tearful, rare occasion (highlights deprecation of two classes and how easily distinguishable they are - grateful vs greedy). ‘Gleam’ - dynamic verb shows idea of light that isn’t steady and is feeble. Contrast to toms natural light.
Dynamic verb ‘sprang’ - sudden, desperate for help and wants to live a stable life.
‘Works pretty slow, don’t he?’ - interrogative displays he’s impatient for possible wealth (main aim in society - overly materialistic and consumerist. ‘Don’t he’ - incorrect use of contraction/auxiliary verb shows class difference between him and Tom who uses ‘doesn’t’.

# data[].attributes.body
represents how being around an east egger influences the vernacular and even morals of someone. the imperative verb phrase “i want” depicts the arrogance and entitlement of Tom and how he influences everyone in his life

# data[].attributes.body
- ‘I can’t complain’ + ‘unconvincingly’ - adverb of manner showing how feeble George seems/hopeless
- ‘I don’t mean that’ - under the thumb of Tom and the rich - ‘his voice faded off’- verb ‘faded’, George as unconfident + ‘agreed Wilson hurriedly’
- ‘as if he were a ghost’ - simile- Myrtle looking through George- lack of importance when someone with a higher class is around

# data[].attributes.body
‘anaemia and faintly handsome’

structurally the two pre modifiers together in the sentence, they create the image of George acting as the embodiment of dying/fading which shows he is driven in life and he lacks factors which make life worth living by subverting from poor choices

# data[].attributes.body
the imperative verb “selected” and “want” depicts the selfishness and ease of life when with an east egger, this contrasts the verbs to describe voa, “crawls, rest, stare”, which all connote difficulty and unpleasantness of voa

# data[].attributes.body
‘ from the window and leaned forward’ the object separates the upper class with the poor emphasising those who benefit from Capitalism and those who are trapped by the effects of Consumerism.
‘Grey old man’ pre modifying adjectives ‘grey old’ further highlights the effect of Capitalism on the poor.

# data[].attributes.body
‘Grey upholstery’ - concrete noun ‘upholstery’ definition = soft, padded textile covering that is fixed to furniture such as armchairs and sofas. ‘Grey’ modifier links to Valley of ashes. Demonstrates idea that upper class rely on poverty of lower class (idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer), also that they’re out of touch with reality and are unaware of how bad the lower classes situations are (links to ‘trains stare at dismal scene’ - are detached and physically separated.

# data[].attributes.body
new york is portrayed as a more calm location, suggested by “lavender” a scent that is usually used as a calming mechanism in order to be relaxed. “i want to get one of those dogs” shows the spoilt personalities of people from the east egg, suggested by “want” rather than “i would like” it also suggests that they can be sometimes impolite.

# data[].attributes.body
- ‘a copy of Town Tattle and a moving picture magazine’ - syndetic list of material objects showing prosperity of New York in contrast to VoA
- ‘one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses’ - metaphor making ny seem quaint but luxurious, connotations of white -clean/innocent- not dark like VoA - hopeful

# data[].attributes.body
Contrast in weather- fog and sunshine representing the dullness of those lives who are living in poverty compared to the sunshine that the higher class are living in, thriving in the light, living their best lives

# data[].attributes.body
‘Stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment-houses’

This is ironic as the the pre modifier white connotes purity and innocence yet this is only possible because of the sin of mankind’s greediness, consumerism drives people to abuse the human rights of others in order to raise themselves higher within society

Reinforced by the pre modifier long which shows the extent of their success and wealth due to others and the exploitation of other people

# data[].attributes.body
the proper noun to introduce the place holds religious background with “the valley of ashes” being a place where all humans die in the bible. perhaps a name afforded to those who live there by the rich as a double entendre to depict this place being rid of life and not having a way out.

# data[].attributes.body
Pre modifiers grotesque and fantastic contrast to present the damaging affects of Capitalism and consumerism on natural environments. Suggesting that poverty takes over their lives and man kind destroys natural beauty

# data[].attributes.body
The constant repetition of “and” where using a different connective or a comma may also be used in their place is used to symbolise how the problems facing the poor in America are so numerous. By repeating “and” it sounds like it takes more effort to say then just placing a comma as well as seeming like an endless list that keeps dragging on and on. In this way Fitzgerald makes it seem like the issues facing the poor are many and more then acceptable.

# data[].attributes.body
many words within this extract portray the valley of the ashes to be very dull and almost ghostly. “ashes” are commonly linked with death, as when people die they are often cremated to ashes, giving the semantic field of death throughout the extract. “crumbling through the powdery air” can suggest fragility. this is shown by the word crumbling which often happens to something when it is old and fragile which can also infer that the valley of the ashes is fairly old

# data[].attributes.body
‘Ash-grey men’ - modifiers ‘ash grey’ depict ideas of living inbetween life and death…. Also grey area of morals to be able to achieve American dream (like gatsby has done)
‘Ashes take the form of houses and chimneys’ - dynamic verb ‘take’ poverty controls their lifestyle, living to survive, fragile construct of society as the concrete nouns ‘houses and chimneys’ can easily crumble and disintegrate as if they never existed (how upper class view the lower class) - man made (world made by men created poverty) society is at fault.

# data[].attributes.body
- ‘grotesque gardens’- juxtaposition/oxymoron between pre-modifier and collective noun showing how twisted nature is in the valley
- simile ‘where ashes grow like wheat into ridges’ - comparing to something natural and prosperous like crops to emphasise how dead the valley is
- semantic field of death - concrete noun ‘ashes’

# data[].attributes.headline
“the valley of ashes is bounded on one side…”

# data[].attributes.subject
“the valley of ashes is bounded on one side…”

# data[].attributes.body
the verb “bounded” presents voa as entrapped by capitalism and greed, this contrasts with the verb choices regarding east egg whereby by, “wafting” connotes the freedom and fluidity of the lifestyle that’s afforded to them, furthermore, clarifies how capitalism breeds capitalism

# data[].attributes.body
“Fantastic farm” - Alliteration - suggests grandeur but then immediately reduces it by calling it a ‘farm’. Farming requires handy work which directly contrasts the lack of action and stagnant energy of east egg.