Now, not only did the valley of ashes symbolize death, but the Eggs and NYC were now locations of death. This location, which once represented parties full of life and glamour, now haunted Nick. The reason for this was not only getting involved with Gatsby, but Tom and Daisy's carelessness and money. As Nick wrote, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, and let other people clean up the mess they had made" (Fitzgerald 179). This is exactly what they did to Nick because he was vulnerable to their negative influence.
The Film, The Great Gatsby, is a great source to see the symbols of locations and how it affects people, especially because of the visual effects. In the movie, one can easily see the physical differences in location and the symbols that come with them. Even though all of the towns border each other, they change dramatically right when the border is crossed. Viewers can also clearly see how Myrtle changes when she is with Tom, compared to with Wilson in The Valley of Ashes. When she is with Tom, she gains vitality and is opulent about Tom and his money. When she is with Wilson, she feels trapped in the valley of ashes and does not have the vitality when with Tom. This demonstrates how the people within an environment, can change or have a profound effect on other's values. In the movie, we can see the significance of colors in different environments. For example, in the Eggs and NYC there are a lot of bright vibrant colors that symbolize life and wealth. While in the Valley of Ashes, there is a lot of gray and soot symbolizing death and poverty. And of course there is the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, symbolizing Gatsby's hope and dream to be with Daisy that he could almost grasp. At the end of the film, we can see how Nick is weathered and disgusted with New York and its people.
