Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
symbolism in the Great Gatsby Fitzgerald
the great gatsby themes and symbols
symbols and motifs in the great gatsby
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: symbolism in the Great Gatsby Fitzgerald
Symbols in The Great Gatsby
In the Great Gatsby, a lot of things can be looked at as symbols. The weather, Daisy’s dresses, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, and even the lights. By using symbols, Fitzgerald makes the story more deep, and enjoyable for some readers. Fitzgerald also uses various themes throughout his story of the Great Gatsby, like Gatsby’s “American dream.”
The two most important symbols in the story are the green lights at the end of daisy’s dock, and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. The green lights represent Gatsby’s “American dream” and his yearning for daisy. The reader doesn’t understand this for a while though. Fitzgerald shows us later that this is what they stand for, to show how something simple can represent so much. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is simply a sign that lingers over the valley of ashes. The reader can interpret it as anything he/she wishes. Toward the end of the novel, however, George Wilson interprets the eyes as the eyes of God, and he must act properly under them.
Gatsby’s American dream is the theme throughout the story. He lives a life of luxury, throwing huge parties, and living in a mansion. Gatsby wanted this life since he was a kid. He also wants the girl of his dreams, Daisy, in his life, only he can’t have her because she is in love with Tom. Gatsby makes Daisy a symbol of everything he wants because of her beauty, wealth, and worry-less attitude.
There are also small symbols and themes in the story as well. The color of daisy’s white dress, for example, sets the mood for the scene. And on the hottest day of the year is when Tom and Gatsby have their confrontation.
Overall, the symbols and themes in this story seem to come together because of Gatsby’s dream for Daisy, which is the symbol of the green lights, who is everything Gatsby wants.
Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby there are many things that represent various ideas, moods, and symbols. Many of these symbols and representations are things that are simple such as a color or a road-sign. An example is the color yellow, throughout the story this represents death and/or corruption. This symbol is portrayed through several events in the novel. Another example of symbolism in the novel is the Green Light, which represents Gatsby’s dream, as well as the American Dream. This is also shown throughout the story through events and things. The final example is the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg, which represents God’s all-seeing eyes. These are just a handful of the many examples of symbolism and representation in the Great Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel based on Gatsby’s dream and hope. In order to enrich the story, symbols are used to emphasize what the author is saying and they create a curiosity in the reader as they are frequently used throughout the story. These three symbols – green light, valley of ashes and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg are not connected to each other but each of them represents important things in the story.
The green light symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams. One of Gatsby’s hopes is to have Daisy divorce her husband to be with him instead. For example, Gatsby says to Daisy while at a party, “ ‘Daisy, that’s all over now’, he said earnestly. ‘It doesn’t matter anymore. Just tell him the truth-- that you never loved him’...She looked at him blindly…‘You never loved him.’ She hesitated” (139). Gatsby is confident that his dream will come true. His dream that Daisy will leave Tom because he has what she wants. He has a love for her that is romantic and valuable. He has something that makes her feel wanted. Fitzgerald’s symbolism in the green light proves that power and love can unite two people to fall in
Symbolism plays an important role in any novel of literary merit. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald displays a superior use of symbols such as color, light, and heat. Fitzgerald’s superior use of heat as a symbol is the focus of this essay.
In novels, the use of symbols makes the story interesting and essential to the readers. Symbols are messages that the author uses to communicate with the reader for a deeper understanding, although sometimes it can only be discovered if analyzed. Fitzgerald connects the different symbols throughout the novel to pinpoint an elaborate meaning towards the story yet it does indicate a pleasant meaning. A symbol such as “color” or “money” can be less complex than it seems. Whereas a symbol as complicated as the “eye” can mean more than it’s suggested for. Throughout The Great Gatsby symbolism represent color, the existence of eyes and money.
The Great Gatsby is a classic American novel, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1927 about corruption, murder and life in the 1920’s. The true purpose for a writer to compose any piece of literature is to entertain the reader, and this writer does this to the best of his ability. In this well-crafted tale, Fitzgerald presents a fast moving, exciting story, and to any typical reader it can be enjoyed; however, if the reader takes the time to analyze his words and truly understand his symbolism used, it can transform this account into a completely different entity. In The Great Gatsby, it is apparent that Fitzgerald uses these symbols to provide representations of what life was like during that time, and to help advance the thematic interests in his novel. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, symbolism is defined as “The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships,” and the author uses all varieties of symbol’s in the text to coax the reader into the true lives and personalities of the characters. Symbolism often allows the reader to better understand the theme and mood that the author is trying to portray. Fitzgerald uses this to show details that cannot be revealed by words alone. Through symbolism, he allows the reader to refer to other, more tangible aspects of life. Throughout this novel, the types of symbolism vary from object to object, but some of the most notable examples of symbolism include the color green, the overall setting, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The use of symbolism throughout this novel not only helps to give the reader insight into the true identities of the characters, but also further accentuates the themes portrayed throughout the novel.
F. Scott Fitzgerald presents The Great Gatsby with complex symbolism. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values as evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and the empty pursuit of pleasure. He uses symbolism to illustrate the distorted and unattainable American Dream. In particular, the green light, the Valley of Ashes, and East and West Egg emphasize his theme that a corrupt and materialistic American Dream is unattainable.
The Great Gatsby is enhanced by the great number of symbols in the story. The story is revolved around symbols which represent different things. There are three types of symbols color, object, name symbols. Each symbol represents a different kind of situation in the story. The color represents all colors that are involved in the story, each color has its own meaning in the story. Object symbols explain the person himself and his situation in the story. Name symbols give the inner meaning of the person and how the name is related to the character.
Symbolism can mean and represent a wide variety of ideas, moments and memories in everyone's lives. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, colors, names and objects symbolize different personalities, and ideas of the characters. Some of the symbols are more obvious and easier to pick up on than others.
Everyone has heard about the green light at the end of Daisy's dock—a symbol of the crude future, the immeasurable promise of the dream that Gatsby desires despite its tragic end. Another familiar symbol is that of yellow and gold—representing money, the tactless greediness that taints the dream and eventually leads to its destruction. Such symbols and their purposes, at every stage in the novel, help provide substance to the main conflict.
Symbolism adds meaning and requires readers to think deeper about the story. It gives objects more than just their physical meaning. The Great Gatsby utilizes the use of symbolism extremely well. Without this use of symbolism, the story would have no meaning at all. The symbols are what help move this story. Symbols in The Great Gatsby such as the eyes of Doctor, T.J. Eckleburg, the green light, the Valley of Ashes, Gatsby’s Mansion, and Owl Eyes all play important roles in the novel.
First of all, symbols are an example of a literary technique. There are many symbols located through-out The Great Gatsby. For example, situated at the end of Daisy's East Egg dock and barely visible from Gatsby's West Egg lawn, the green light represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and in Chapter One reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. Because Gatsby's quest for Daisy is largely associated with the American dream, the green light stands also as a symbol of the American dream.
Symbolism is what makes a story complete. And it is used through "The Great Gatsby." Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing the characters wear. There are three major symbolic elements used in the novel, they are water, colors, and religion.
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.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby's house and car, symbolize material wealth.