Ask AI: make a summary of chapter 2 of the great gatsby

In Chapter 2 of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, describes the area between West Egg and New York City, which is characterized by a desolate wasteland known as the "valley of ashes." This grim area is overlooked by the ominous eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, a large billboard featuring a pair of disembodied eyes, symbolizing the moral and social decay hidden by the glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age. Nick accompanies Tom Buchanan, his cousin Daisy’s husband, on a trip into the city. They stop at a garage owned by George Wilson, a poor mechanic, and his wife Myrtle, who is Tom's mistress. Myrtle is vivacious and vibrant, contrasting sharply with her dour husband. Tom, Myrtle, and Nick, along with some companions, head to an apartment in New York City for a party. The gathering quickly devolves into drunkenness and tension. Myrtle speaks disdainfully about Tom's wife, Daisy, and Tom responds by hitting her and breaking her nose. The party ends in chaos, highlighting the empty and destructive nature of the lives of those involved. This chapter develops themes of class disparity and moral degradation, setting the stage for the subsequent unraveling of the characters' lives.