Although she is described as much younger, the image of Myrtle still provokes an idea of Yubaba from Spirited Away in my mind. Yubaba is an old, slightly chubby lady who exudes someone obsessed with wealth and status, just as Myrtle does. (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/studio-ghibli/images/c/c6/Zeniba.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170221161844)

This phrase reminds me of the garden of Yon Rha in Avatar the Last Airbender. He murders Katara, a main character's mother, believing that she is the last of a race that his people are attempting to genocide. Years later the story introduces us to him as an old man living with a miserable marriage, and his garden is shown to be a bit of a failure just as the rest of his life is now. This coincides with the grotesque garden in the gloomy valley of ashes here. https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11131/111314117/5885609-fire16-975.jpg

The eerie description of T.J. Eckleberg here hints at his omniscient capabilities, and this reminds me of the description of all the Big Brother propaganda in 1984. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four) He has enormous eyes in some cases, and is also compared to God just as the Eckleburg billboard is.

This quote immediately made me think of Bill Gates and his actions, particularly with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their foundation focuses on lifting people out of poverty, inherently acknowledging that it isn't their fault most of the time but rather the negative effects of their circumstances. What Nick's father says to him similarly highlights how circumstance can affect people, as he points out that Nick should be mindful of other people's circumstances and the effects they may have on them. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/