What do these uses of dust have in common?
-These uses of dust are all symbolizing something that is old and decaying.
How do they differ?
-These uses of dust differ because some of the examples of dust is real dust, powder, and some is not even real dust.
real dust: powder: imaginary dust:
pg. 26 pg. 116 pg. 2
pg. 137 pg. 66
pg. 148
pg. 151
Suggestions-
pg 2: Gatsby's dreams were old and dead because he never had Daisy.
pg 26: Wilson never had any dreams so he is covered in dust because his dreams are lacking. Also, the dust on Wilson is partially from where he lives, because he lives in the Valley of Ashes.
pg 66: Gatsby was "leaking sawdust at every pore"because Nick thought that Gatsby was telling stories after stories about his earlier life. The phrase "leaking sawdust at every pore" relates to how the old days the mannequins were covered with cloth and filled with sawdust and the sawdust would leak through the cloth because is was fake.
pg 151: This passage shows how all of the people who walked through the "shining dust" are decaying on the inside. Daisy is still young and not married yet in this passage, therefore the "shining dust" also symbolizes how here dreams are still alive.
pg 116: In this passage, the dust is actually powder that Daisy has put on her bosom. This dust/powder rising from her bosom is symbolizing how Daisy's dream of Gatsby if leaving her, because she knows that she can not have him.
pg 137: Myrtle's blood mixes with the dust when she is hit by Gatsby's car; while Daisy is driving. This shows how Myrtle was decaying on the inside before she was killed. It also symbolizes how Myrtle's dream of being with Tom has died, because she died.
pg 148: Towards the end of the book when Nick and Tom go through Gatsby's house and see a huge amount of dust. This dust symbolizes Gatsby's life decaying away and also Gatsby's death that is coming soon. This is the point when Gatsby knows he is about to die, so he is just "smoking out in the darkness."
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