F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby is full of symbols which occur throughout the novel in order to develop and understand its major themes.

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Yr 11 English Literature

Great Gatsby Essay

By Bonnie Ansems

                        

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby is full of symbols which occur throughout the novel in order to develop and understand its major themes. Written in the 1920’s, Fitzgerald’s novel evaluates and examines Gatsby’s vision of the American dream. One of the major themes in the novel is the nature of this “American Dream,” a fictitious belief that if we become rich we will be successful and happy. Symbols that help to comprehend theme include the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, the green light, and grand houses. These are a just a few of the predominant symbols which occur throughout the novel.

The green light is a multi-faceted piece of symbolism in the novel which is able to interpret many themes including that Gatsby’s love for Daisy (also known as the “American Dream”), has blinded him to all other things in turn causing his death. Nick first sees Gatsby with his arms outstretched toward “a single green light minute and far away that might have been the end of a dock.” This quote enables the reader to see that Nick first perceives it as just a green light at the end of a dock while to Gatsby it is much more. To him it represents his longing for money, success, acceptance and of course Daisy. Although after Daisy and Gatsby had reunited, the green light was concealed by a mist, visibly affecting Gatsby, and Nick quotes, “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever…Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished one by one.” This image suggests to the reader that Gatsby may be beginning to see that his quest for Daisy is being misted and is making him blind.  All of Gatsby’s hopes and dreams had rested on this one single green light which is a direct metaphor for his longings for Daisy. She proves herself not to be the fulfilment of his dream, but as elusive and uncertain as the flickering green glow barely visible across the water.

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The Eyes of T.J Eckleburg are not so focused on Gatsby or his quest for Daisy but depicts that the characters are being watched and judged. In the novel they are located on a billboard advertisement in the valley of ashes that looks over Wilson’s garage. The eyes look over the situation, without prejudice, but offer a kind of judgement on the characters and their actions. They are placed near Wilson’s because that is where some of the most terrible acts take place, including the death of Myrtle and Tom’s affair. Wilson refers to the billboard as God, which ...

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