Great Gatsby Symbolism Essay

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby – Symbolism and the Truth That Lies Between
Symbolism is a very important device in Fitzgerald's 1926 masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. Different
objects, words or actions symbolize different character traits for each person depicted in his novel.
Through symbolism, Fitzgerald manages to describe three completely different aspects of the human
life. He conveys the glittery, magnificent life of the rich, the gray, ugly and desperate life of the
poor, and the mundane struggles of those in between.
Through the eyes of Nick Carraway, which in this case substitutes the narrator as well, the author
depicts the majestic life of those who, by pure coincidence or happenstance,...show more content...
Further more, we observe how careless and ignorant the rich are, in this case Tom, in regard to
those less fortunate. For him, a car is taken for granted; it is a mere disposable object that he uses
to tease George Wilson, a member of the poor. When Wilson, doubtful of Mr. Buchanan's interest
in selling him the car, points out that he's been waiting for it for a long time, Tom tells him, with
no consideration to his needs, that, "I have my man working on it right now (Fitzgerald 28). Tom
decides to tease him, saying that, "...if you feel that way about it, maybe I'd better sell it
somewhere else after all." (Fitzgerald 28) Tom Buchanan plays with Wilson's needs once more,
when the latter, trying to get him to sell the car, apparently disturbs Mr. Buchanan's dinner. Tom
replies: "Very well, then, I won't sell you the car at all..."(Fitzgerald 111). Wilson however, is
persistent, as his need for the car, which in this case is the equivalent of money, grows constantly.
Tom taunts him yet again, showing him Gatsby's car, and implying that it was his: "How do you
like this one? I bought it last week...Like to buy it?"(Fitzgerald 117) This time, the car is symbol of
the power of the rich over the unfortunate poor, "ash–gray men" on the lowest step of the social
ladder. It is like a bone teasing a dog, like a dangling medication in front of a dieing, hungry man.
Tom is not the only one
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Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay
Gatsby Essay
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. For
example, a dove is usually used to represent peace. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F.
Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald uses a lot of symbolism to connect the characters with each other or to
other objects. Fitzgerald's use of symbolism helps advance his thematic interest in his novel of The
Great Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objects, and gestures as
symbols to portray the lack of moral and spiritual values of people and the different aspects of
society in the 1920's. One use of symbolism Fitzgerald uses is the green light at the end of Daisy's
dock. He uses it to...show more content...
He also connects the color yellow, on Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's glasses, with the greed and wealth of
the characters. Another symbol used in The Great Gatsby is the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of
Ashes is located between West Egg and New York City, and all it is, is land with the dumping of
industrial ashes all over it. It represents the moral and social decay that results from wealth, as the
rich enjoy nothing but their own pleasure. It also symbolizes the poor who live among the dirty
ashes and lose their strength as a result. "This is a valley of ashes–a fantastic farm where ashes
grown like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens, where ashes take the forms of
houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move
dimly and already crumbling through the powder air."(27) Looking over the valley of ashes are
the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. "The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic...they
look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles."(27) The Eyes of
Doctor T.J. Eckleburg could represent God staring down on the American society. They're just a
pair of fading eyes painted on an old billboard over the valley of ashes. Fitzgerald uses the eyes to
suggest symbols only mean something because of the characters put meaning in them. George
Wilson makes the connection of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's eyes symbolizing God. They could also
represent the meaninglessness of the

Essay Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, there is lots of reflection on symbolism, and especially colored
symbolism. In this novel symbolism is a very important factor, it shows the difference between the
different characters and scenes in the novel. The color green influences the story a lot. Green shows
many thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and choices that Gatsby has throughout the story. White too plays an
even more important role in the novel as it is used to represent some of the characters, it also talks
about the drinking and the driving that happened, where the color green is more a symbol of the
relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. This sort of symbolism reoccurs in different places
throughout the novel, especially with Gatsby.
The color...show more content...
Also, Fitzgerald used this by meaning Gatsby should go for his dream without hesitation. It
implies that Gatsby and Daisy are meant to be together and nothing should stop Gatsby from his
destined happiness and love with Daisy. It inspires hope, a sort of false hope, for Gatsby that he is
on the right path, heading towards the best years of his life. He believes that things will soon be as
they once were only better. "I'm going to fix everything just the way they were before,"
he said nodding determinedly. "She'll see" (84).
The last symbolization the color green has in this novel is an urge to move ahead in life, to do
better in life and succeed. Gatsby changes his entire persona for what he thinks is a more
sociable, image and status. He is constantly trying to be a more successful figure in society. Ever
since he was a boy he put himself on a schedule with hopes for becoming a highly respected, well
known person. "He knew he had a big future in front of him." his dad says about him.
"Jimmy was bound to get ahead" (98). Once again this takes the reader back to the
color green being used to represent the action "go" in accordance with the character of Jay Gatsby.
One of the most important color symbolism scenes is "the valley of

Great Gatsby Color Imagery & Symbolism Essay
Color imagery in The Great Gatsby is vital to the books storyline. If there was no color imagery
then the reader could not associate a certain person or thing with a color or idea. Fitzgerald uses
the color so people can remember the person more than just their name. The use of color imagery
greatly impacts the story line. One of the main colors in The Great Gatsby is white. White
represents the innocence and purity in the book. Daisy and Jordan are first introduced wearing
white. It makes you think that the ladies' are pure from the start of the book. Later on it is realized
that neither one of the girls is all that pure. They are obviously not pure since they both are not so
innocent. In the book is says Jordan cheats in her golf...show more content...
He also wears gold clothing up until he meets Daisy again. After that he then starts to wear white
clothing. Gatsby is probably the biggest representation of gold or yellow in the book.
Yellow represents money and greed but it peculiarly represents death as well. Thecolor yellow can
be seen at two of the deaths in the book. The yellow Rolls–Royce owned by Gatsby that killed
Myrtle, it is discernible that yellow was involved with the death of Myrtle. Another way yellow is
shown through death is when Gatsby walked past the yellowing trees that were on the way to his
pool before he was killed by George Wilson. "Gatsby shouldered the mattress and headed for the
pool. Once he stopped and shifted it a little and the chauffeur asked him if he needed any help, but
he shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees." (Fitzgerald p.169).
This shows the color yellow playing a role in death once again. At the parties you can tell that
yellow is apparent. The "yellow cocktail music" and the "girls in yellow dresses" are too ways that
show that Gatsby tries to fit in with "old money." Yellow or gold deals with the real money, gold of
course, while green would be considered new money. It is also humorous that Daisy which is a
yellow flower is also the most impure character in the book.
Green is the last large color imagery in The Great Gatsby. The color green is a tremendous thing for
Gatsby. He almost worships the green light at the

Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
Symbolism is used in literature to portray a deeper meaning than what is just seen on the outside. It
requires the understanding of the theme and the relationships in the literature. Symbolism helps to
create a more well–rounded piece of writing and to entice the reader. Understanding how the
symbolism connects to the literature is extremely important to writing and reading a book.
In The Great Gatsby, the main character, Gatsby, is infatuated with the green light that shines
across the water, from the dock of Daisy's house. He reaches for it, almost as if he's yearning for it.
"He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and , far as I was from him, I
could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward –– and distinguished nothing
except a single green light" (Fitzgerald 26). When we are first introduced to the green light, it seems
to have no relevance. Though as we go through the story, the reader can make the realization that to
Gatsby, the green light symbolizes the hope for the future. Green is also a symbol for success and
happiness, which is what he wishes to have with Daisy. He reaches for the light, longing for Daisy
to come join him in the idealistic future he hungers to achieve. But just like that future, the green
light is entirely unreachable for him. Another symbol in The Great Gatsby is Tom Buchanan's
mistress, Myrtle Wilson. She is a symbol for the death of the American dream. She lives in the
Valley of Ashes, another

Essay Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is filled with symbols and symbolism, which try to convey Fitzgerald's ideas to
the reader. The symbols are uniquely involved in the plot of the story, which makes their
implications more real. There are three major symbols that serve very important significance in the
symbolism of the novel. They are "the valley of the ashes," the reality that represents the corruption
in the world, the green light of Daisy's lap that Gatsby sees across the bay and lastly, the symbolism
of the East Egg and West Egg or more important the east and the west of the country.
The "Valley of the Ashes" is located next to the river, where railroad and highway intersect. It is a
dumpster between West Egg...show more content...
The green light is what Gatsby aspires to meet his entire life, it is his primal destination in life. The
only reason Gatsby buys the house is to see the light in Daisy's window across the bay. In chapter
5 when Gatsby tells Daisy how he stares bluntly at the green light, he is aware that he will no
longer need to stare it for he has Daisy back now. He wins the reward, which was behind his
primal target. His reward is the real thing and he no longer needs its representative and thus the
green light begins to fade. Gatsby begins to slowly recognize the reality: no object can replace his
ideal that he has created for himself since the yearly age. This shows how no mater how much
materialism is acquired by a person, it will never be enough and it will never quite match up to one's
illusion, to one's dream.
The symbolism behind East Egg and West Egg plays an important role in Fitzgerald's expression
of corruption. East represents the wealth and the sophistication as well as the recklessness and the
corruption of the people. The West on the other hand represents the lower classes, which in their
blindness try to attain wealth, in order to fit in with the high privileged classes, which are
mercenary to begin with. Fitzgerald points out here that both the upper, more privileged classes
and the lower classes are immoral and corrupt for each of them has reached a level where their lives
are taken by the materialism of life.
As stated earlier, symbolism is important

Symbolism in the Great Gatsby In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, he uses an abundance of
symbolism to convey the theme of not being able to repeat the past. Some primary examples of
symbolism used are the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, the rain just before Gatsby meets
Daisy for the first time in five years, and the clock that Gatsby knocks over while meeting Daisy.
The three of these things are all concrete objects that represent the central idea of what's in the past
is stuck there. They all function together to support this central theme by working toward the
purpose that there is only one direction in life: forward. The symbols in The Great Gatsby assist the
theme of leaving the past in the past by showing that no matter how hard one person tries to regain
what they once had, it is simply impossible.
A prominent part of the theme throughout the book is the symbol of the green light at the end of
Daisy's dock. It is used to depict Gatsby's hopes and dreams to obtain Daisy and an elite life status.
The green light is first mentioned in chapter one when Nick witnessed that Gatsby, "...stretched out
his arms toward the dark water in a curious way... [I] distinguished nothing except a single green
light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (Fitzgerald 25–26). After
everything had unraveled, the true meaning of the green light is explained on the very last page
of the book. Nick explained that, "[Gatsby] had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream
must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was
already behind him..." (Fitzgerald 189). Gatsby was reaching for his hopes and dreams of being
wealthy and getting Daisy, which were both in the past. He spent five years of his life trying to
obtain things that were long gone. The reader learns that everything he did was in an attempt to
get Daisy back: the money, popularity, parties, and even the location of house he bought: right
across the bay from hers. The green light is key to realizing that he was reaching for things that
were in the past, and he didn't receive them. He was so close to obtaining all of it, but still so far
away.
As time progresses, Gatsby wants to see Daisy

Symbolism And Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
Throughout this novel we see many symbolic meanings, the author Scott. Fitzgerald intended it this
way in order to send a message to the audience. We see many colors showing symbolism some of
this colors are green, yellow, white, red, and gold. I am going to talk about the color green and how
the author showed its impact and symbolism throughout this novel.These color often can be
associated with people from the novel, for example the green can be associated with Gatsby, the red
can be associated with Myrtle, yellow and white can be associated with Daisy, and blue can be
associated with T.J. Eckleburg. This symbolic colors give great importance to the novel and it
entertains the reader with this symbolic meanings throughout the novel. Green is the color of spring,
which symbolizes confidence, vitality and hope. In the Great Gatsby, the color green is closely
associated with the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. It symbolizes Gatsby's deep love to
Daisy and his American Dream. But as the green light is always feeble and far away, it also
indicates the disillusionment of his dream. In other words, the green light symbolizes hope. It
symbolizes hope because, Gatsby sees this light as the hope of him and Daisy being together at
one point. It shows Gatsby's love towards her because you can see how he really feels about her
when he tries to grab the light by stretching his arm as far as he can. This shows how Gatsby
desperately tries to get Daisy's heart but her heart is too far away from him. This light also
signifies how close he is to Daisy, he think he can just grab her of how close he think he is to her,
but this can also be a disillusionment to his dreams because the light is always distant and far
from him and he will never grab it just like he could never have Daisy. Throughout this novel we
can see Gatsby's affection towards this light, this light is very important and we see it being
reference back and forth throughout the whole book. This color made the novel more vivid, more
colorful, more dreamlike, more visionary and more profound. It helps the reader connect with the
book. You can relate to Gatsby's feeling when he sees the light and he tries to grab it and it makes
the moment even more

Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby
Good Morning Mr Peinke and 11A today I will be discussing how F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of
The Great Gatsby, uses the techniques of symbolism and characterisation to position readers to
view the George and Myrtle Wilson, a married couple living in the Valley of Ashes during the
1920's. While the 20's were a great time of optimism, Fitzgerald portrays the much bleaker side of
the revelry by focusing on its indulgence, two–facedness, shallow recklessness. While we don't know
a lot about Myrtle and George Wilsons background, through the descriptions given by Nick and
other characters the readers have been positioned to view them given their status. Within this
chapter, we are introduced to Valley of Ashes, home to George and Myrtle Wilson.
...show more
content...
Through the literary device of language, Fitzgerald has positioned the reader to view myrtle in a
certain way through the voice of Nick. However, unlike Nicks description of Daisy, where he
concentrates on her voice, mannerisms and beauty and unlike his description of Jordan which
were he emphasises on her posture and athleticism, Nicks description of Myrtle focuses entirely on
her body. This can be shown when Nick says, "She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but
she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. Her face, above a spotted dress of dark
blue crepe–de–chine, contained no facet or gleam of beauty but there was an immediately
perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smoldering"
(Fitzgerald, 2016). Fitzgerald has done this to emphasise that nick has described her this way as
she is Tom's mistress and it speaks to the strong physically attraction between tom and myrtle which
undergirds their affair. This attraction serves as a halt to the deep emotional attraction that daisy
and Gatsby share. It is also through the technique of characterisation where readers are positioned
to view George a certain way. "He was a blonde, spiritless man, anemic, and faintly handsome.
When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes. (Fitzgerald, 2016)" From this
quote

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has more relevance in today's society than it did when it was written.
With the recent societal trend that emphasizes lack of morals and material wealth over a meaningful
existence, Fitzgerald's message really hits home. Which is more important – money or love? Social
status or being true to oneself? Fitzgerald uses metaphor and symbols to great effect in order to
illustrate what can happen when the pursuit of happiness becomes warped (by American ideals) into
the pursuit of money.
One of the major symbols in the novel is the color green. Green represents the hopes and dreams of
people striving to accomplish the American dream of wealth and glory....show more content...
The valley of ashes represents the byproduct of a nation obsessed with money. It is filled with the
gray industrial ashes of the factories that helped to catapult dreamers to the top of the world. It
also symbolizes the lower class. The people living in the towns nearby are described as gray and
solemn. They are washed up because they were unable to accomplish their goals and fulfill the
American dream. Wilson, for example, is described as someone with "an ashen, dust veiled suit"
and "pale hair." The ash heap is described as a place "where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and
hills." As those ashes pile up, they bury the hopes of people seeking the American dream.
The towns of East and West Egg are also symbolic. The people of East Egg represent those who
already have wealth from inheritance. The people of West Egg represent those people who have
gained their wealth through hard work and business. Gatsby has lots of money but he will always
be "subtly incompatible" with the affluent society of East Egg. East Egg also represents old money
and the east coast, whereas West Egg represents new money and the west coast. Throughout the
novel, characters openly rebuke the west. For example, early in the novel Nick says, "Oh, I'll stay in
the East, don't you worry."
The weather is another symbol that is used primarily for the purpose of setting the general mood of
the book. Moments of death

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Gatsby with a great deal of symbolism and for good reason.
Symbolism in writing adds more meaning and depth to a story and helps the reader think about
underlying themes. It can show what is really going on under the surface of the plot. Several issues
exemplified through The Great Gatsby were that wealth and power corrupt, people aren't what they
seem, you can't go back to the past, actions have consequences, and that the idealistic American
dream has been replaced by materialism and greed. One of the symbols that Fitzgerald took
advantage of was color. If he made a point to mention or emphasize a specific color in the book, it
most likely had meaning to it. One of the main issues in the Great Gatsby was materialism and
greed. For example, one character is named Daisy. Her name shows that she is like the flower;
white or pure looking on the outside, but yellow and corrupted on the inside. For example, when
Gatsby went to war, she wouldn't wait for him and started to date other men. "Suddenly she was
again, keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men," (Fitzgerald, 151). Then later in the
book, Daisy accidentally hit Myrtle with a car. "The 'death car' as the newspapers called it, didn't
stop; it came out of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment, and then disappeared
around the next bend," (Fitzgerald, 137). However, instead of trying to help out or admit to her
mistake, Daisy wouldn't say anything, letting everyone

Great Gatsby Symbolism
The symbols shown in both novels can be seen effecting the characters' lives in both a positive and
negative way. John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men's author, introduces the character of Lennie, who
has a dream of tending to several rabbits that live on their imaginary farm. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the
author of The Great Gatsby, introduces Jay Gatsby, a character who reaches for a green light across
the water representing his hopes and dreams of one day being with his true love again. These
symbols, representing the unattainable dreams the characters have, can be seen damaging their
future while the characters are unaware. The symbolism presented in both Of Mice and Men and
The Great Gatsby reflect the characters' dreams which lead to affect their lives. Beyond Lennie's
dream of tending the rabbits in Of Mice and Men, Lennie has been known throughout the novel for
hurting just about everything he touches. So, if Lennie gets the opportunity to tend the rabbits, he
will probably kill them and his dream will never come true. Although, Lennie might not know this
dream will not come true, his best friend, George knows. George said, "–I think I knowed from the
very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to
thinking maybe we would" (Steinbeck 94). This meaning, George grasped onto the dream he and
Lennie shared, knowing it wasn't going to come true, to get him through the days. With this,
Steinbeck shows how he believes dreams are solely meant to be dreamt, not reached. Lennie is so
focused on the future and what they want to come, he doesn't realize the harm he has done to the
things around him, such as killing the dog, rat, and even killing Curly's Wife. The rabbits symbolize
Lennie's hopes for the future, love, and safety. Lennie, being so innocent, only believes what George
tells him, therefore, whenever he does wrong, the rabbits keep him feeling safe. Lennie never wanted
anything else but to tend the rabbits, he didn't care about the land or even being free, his mind was
solely caught up in the thought of having something for his entertainment.
Likewise, in the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald introduces the character of Jay Gatsby, a man
who had a past love with

Symbolism plays an important role in any novel of literary merit. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F.
Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols to portray events, feelings, personalities and time periods. Throughout
the narrative, Fitzgerald uses strong contrasting symbols such as West Egg and East Egg. His
superior use of other predominant symbols such as color and light are also evident throughout the
novel.
The story begins as the narrator, Nick Carraway, describes his arrival to West Egg. One can
immediately spot "new–money Gatsby and no–money Nick on one side of the bay and old–money
Buchanans on the other" (Tanner x). The superiority of East Egg to West Egg is instantly apparent
and has much meaning. East Egg represents the high class, the...show more content...
Just as the American dream is examined, its failure is also addressed. By doing this, not only is
another contrast created but a color, gray, is also introduced into the story. "The glittering palaces on
Long Island Sound are set against the ash–heaps on the outskirts of New York" (Way 93). These gray
ash–heaps are known as the Valley of Ashes. This valley signifies the death of the materialist
dream. It demonstrates the fact that if people go through life with no values or morals, they leave
great messes behind. An example of this occurs when Daisy hits Myrtle, kills her but does not care.
This valley of "ash–gray men" where "occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along" (Fitzgerald 26),
is used to symbolize not only the fall of the American dream but also the dullness of life in general.
Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald uses other symbolic colors, such as pink and white, as well.
Pink is the color of dreamers. Thus, when Gatsby and Daisy are about to announce their love to
Tom, Gatsby wears his pink suit. He is the "hopeful, hapless dreamer in the pink suit" (Tanner
xxvi). As mentioned by Hack and Stockstill, pink is a mixture of red and white. Since red is the
color of passion and love and that white symbolizes purity, this blend is an ideal middle ground for
Gatsby. In the novel, Nick spots a superficial actress beneath a white–plum tree. This pure color
symbolizes wealth, shallowness, innocence

The Great Gatsby Symbolism
1)In the beginning of the novel, the narrator of the story –Nick Carraway– explains how Gatsby
"represented everything for which I have unaffected scorn" (Fitzgerald 6). What actions that Gatsby
commits or what interpretations Nick makes justifies this statement?
2)What did Daisy represent for the story: the golden girl for Gatsby, the lesser of two evils, or
something else? What does Fitzgerald make her represent in Gatsby's and society's point of view?
3)The reference that the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg 'watched over the valley of ashes' is made
continuously throughout the novel. Do these intimidating eyes represent the eyes of God or the eyes
of someone/something else? What do eyes symbolize?
4)What type of emotions/symbols does

Symbolism is one of many literary elements that enhances a story with it's power of a deeper
meaning and reader involvement. Involving the reader is important because it keeps them interested,
and allows them to explore what the symbol's meaning is and how it contributes to a storyline. F.
Scott Fitzgerald is considered to be a master of this technique. Throughout his novel, The Great
Gatsby, he uses symbolism in many ways to contribute to the theme, money effects one's actions,
personality, and feelings when they let the idea of wealth consume them. Major symbolisms
Fitzgerald uses to support the theme would be the billboard of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg and the
character, Owl–Eyes. Fitzgerald's first effective use of symbolism is Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's eyes.
Indirectly, a readers can gather that Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's eyes resemble a greater God
watching over the characters in the novel. George Wilson fuels this symbolism when he tells
Michaelis about the moment he confronted Myrtle about her affair. "and I said 'God knows what
you've been doing, everything you've been doing. You may fool me, but you can't fool God!'" "
Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J.
Eckleburg. . ." (159). Although George is in a delirious state of mind and may believe those are
truly the watchful eyes of God, the reader can see Fitzgerald is using the eyes as a symbolism. The
billboards eyes were able to watch the truth of Myrtle and

The Great Gatsby Symbolism Essay
Amy Chen
May 3, 2012
Block E
Gatsby's Symbolic House
In literature, symbols are used to add deeper meaning to the story or hint at an emotion or attitude
towards something without directly stating it. Sometimes they are obvious while other times
sometimes they are hidden, regardless, they are used to enhance the story. In The Great Gatsby by F.
Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald uses symbolism to create a more realistic story for the reader. Although,
many symbols are present throughout the story, Gatsby's house represents something more than just
a luxurious building; his house reveals Gatsby's true character, love for Daisy and his struggle to
maintain it.
Gatsby's lavish mansion is described early on in the story which illustrates...show more content...
Gatsby spends years trying to find Daisy (S). When he finally does, he decides to hold lavish parties
every Saturday to attract Daisy (CX). One evening, "There was music from my neighbor's house and
through the summer lights... men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the
champagne and stars" (Fitzgerald 39). This reveals Gatsby's true feelings towards his parties; the
smiles, the laughter, the people– all have no significance in his heart. To him, none of this matters,
unless Daisy is there. Gatsby is not even aware of whom attends his parties, "Sometimes they
came and went without having met Gatsby at all" (Fitzgerald 41). As soon as his discovers the
relationship between Nick and Daisy, he pulls Jordan aside to ask Nick invite Daisy to Nick's
house, so he can coincidently drop by. Gatsby's willingness to host parties every week, shows his
perseverance and sincerity towards Daisy. It is at Gatsby's house where the two finally reunite.
Even the darkest, coldest place is enlightened when they are together. Before entering the house,
Daisy sees the house as vacant, but when they were in the cellar, "the gray windows disappeared
as the house glowed full of light" (Fitzgerald 94). To Gatsby, everything seems perfect and nothing
seems to matter as long as Daisy is his side. After their reunion, Daisy begins to visit Gatsby's house
more frequently; this leads to his ultimate decision to fire

Symbolism In The Great Gatsby Essay
Happiness can only truly be acquired through the fantastical idea of dreams, and it is well known
that money cannot. But in the 1920s, this idea changed as it became into a desire for wealth by
whatever means; mistaken that money will bring happiness in one's life. This conception leads to the
end of true morality and turned a person into someone very selfish. F.Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates
this notion through the use of a variety of symbols and themes.One of the dominant ideas within this
novel is wealth which is supported through the symbol: eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.The eyes
symbolize the loss of spiritual values and growing commercialism in America. In the novel, The
Great Gatsby, the theme wealth creates a pathway to the corruption of morals is evident through the
decisions and thoughts of the Buchanans and Gatsby who are indirectly influenced by the symbol
Eye of T.J Eckleburg. Characters such as Tom and Daisy Buchanan can be seen as highly
materialistic and driven by their hunger for money. As a woman of high–class, Daisy has no desire
to break her marriage with Tom and abandons her status in society to be with Gatsby. This is
illustrated when Jordan Baker explains to Nick how Daisy "cried and cried" right before her
wedding after reading the letter from Gatsby, but the "next day at five o'clock she next day she
"married Tom Buchanan without so much shiver" (Fitzgerald 36). This shows how materialistic
Daisy is since she marries Tom in the spite of escaping a

Metaphors and Symbolisms in The Great Gatsby
In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many different
metaphors and symbolisms to express his point. In this essay the point that
I wish to make is how Fitzgerald uses colors to develop image, feelings, and
scenery depiction to let the reader feel the emotions and other aspects being
portrayed in that particular part in the book. Like every other essay one
must address the major points that will be addressed. This essay suggests
the hopefulness of Nick's venture in the East and of Gatsby's dream to win
Daisy. Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of
future promise. ...show more content...
The next colors that I will address are silver and gold. Gold is portrayed
in many different places in this novel. Earlier, in Gatsby's life, he was
deeply in love with a young woman named Daisy. She had been his life's
aspiration, and he had always one day dreamed of being with her once more.
She didn't stay with Gatsby in that earlier part of their lives because he
wasn't wealthy, and couldn't completely pamper her every need. As he
matured, he understood that because of her upbringing as the town "southern
bell", and being very spoiled, to win her heart, he must too become a man of
great wealth. This is where the depiction of gold starts to take place.

Gatsby wishes to lure Daisy back to him, using the appeal of his wealth and
power as a tool. A daisy flower, if you think about it closely, has a yellow
or golden center. All Daisy's life she has required a certain attending to.
Gold is a symbol of wealth. This is a re–occurring image that is seen
throughout Gatsby's parties and vulgar displays of prosperity. Many of the
extravagant parties that Gatsby had to lure Daisy to his house, take place in
West Egg. West Egg, as well as East Egg, although appear to be the home of
great and honorable men and women; they are

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay
The Great Gatsby Symbols
Throughout the book the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are many examples of very
simple things that have a deeper meaning or represent more than meets the eye. The book is
narrated by Nick Carraway, and is about a man named Gatsby who throws huge parties where he
doesn't even make an appearance, all in an attempt to win back his lost lover Daisy who is married
to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby is a big figure in the book and he uses many objects around him to
represent his emotions and their status. The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by
the houses and cars in an array of ways. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby's car makes many appearances
and is a big part of the novel. Gatsby's car in...show more content...
The details of Gatsby's car show his love for his money. Gatsby feels that by having such an
extravagant car it makes him look superior to others. "He (Gatsby) saw me looking with
admiration at his car. 'It's pretty, isn't it, old sport.' He jumped off to give me a better view" (68).
Also, the car is an attempt to make his life feel full to him. Like Nick states, "My first impression,
that he was a person of some undefined consequence" (69). Gatsby's house is a symbol of large
income and his unhappiness, he uses his house as an attempt to win Daisy back. Gatsby's house
is "A factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking
new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres or lawn
and garden" (9). Gatsby throws large parties there and hardly ever makes an appearance at those
parties and the most of the guests don't even know who he is. Nick goes to one of Gatsby's
parties and makes an attempt to find the host and asks two or three people where the host is and
he is just stared at and denied (46). This symbolizes material wealth and by him not making an
appearance at his own parties shows that he feels empty inside and is an attempt to cover his
emptiness up. Both the house and the car are two similar symbols for Gatsby's material wealth and
his attempt to hide his

Name Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
Jannielle Jimenez
Mrs. Harrington
AP Lang; Period 4
6 June 2015
Focus Questions
1. Fitzgerald utilizes his characters' names to symbolize aspects of their personalities and convey
their roles in the novel by creating their character arc to correspond to their names.
In addition, the name symbolism relates to the 1920's society and the themes in the novel by
acting as emphasis for the audience to uncover the corruption and immorality concealed by the
glamour of the era's society. For instance, Fitzgerald expresses, "So he [Gatsby] invented just the
sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would like to invent, and to this conception he was
faithful to the end" (104). As the name "Jay" is symbolic of a bird that flies from his habitat...show
more content...
Through imagery, Fitzgerald is able to utilize colors in the novel to add symbolic significance to
characters, events, and locations. This color symbolism helps convey the themes in novel because it
acts as "red flags" for the audience to concentrate on. For instance, Fitzgerald expresses, "The lights
grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is playing yellow
cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher" (44). Fitzgerald paints the image of the
sun gradually rising to demonstrate the wealth's alcohol and carelessness rises as well. Due to the
fact that monetary value is needed in order to purchase liquor, their wealth acts a the source of
intoxication both in their drunken state and their mentally–corrupted state. As the audience is left
with a strong impression of the color yellow and its representation of the novel's theme of the
wealth's corruption, Fitzgerald executes his purpose of color symbolism. Furthermore, Fitzgerald
illustrates, "Michaelis wasn't even sure of its color–he told the first policeman that is was light green.
The other car, the one going toward New York, came to rest a hundred yards beyond, and its
driver hurried back to where Myrtle Wilson, her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and
mingled her thick dark blood with the dust" (144). Fitzgerald creates a vivid image of Wilson's
death to draw attention to green car that eradicates her. He utilizes the color green to signify the
death car is Gatsby's automobile; metaphorically, the green light also demonstrates Gatsby's drive to
attain Daisy and his wealth. By destroying the car of Gatsby's, Fitzgerald conveys the theme that the
American Dream disintegrates along with it. Thus, imagery allows Fitzgerald to shed light onto key
characters and events, providing the audience "flags" to uncover the novel's

Great Gatsby Symbolism Essay

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Great Gatsby Symbolism Essay