The Use of Symbolism to describe Moral Decay in The Great Gatsby

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The Use of Symbolism to describe Moral Decay in The Great Gatsby

By Marco Vitali

According to Merriam-Webster, symbolism is "the art or practice of using symbols by investing things with a symbolic meaning." Using symbolism you can express feelings, sensations and meanings without necessarily putting them in words, leaving the interpretation of these to the reader. In his classic novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism to avoid getting negative attention from the people of the upper class since his novel is very controversial, in the sense that he uses symbols such as colors and locations to condemn aspects of the American society including the recklessness and corruption of the upper class.

Gatsby's gold tie and silver shirt symbolize his wealth and upper class belonging. He wears these to prove to Daisy that he is now wealthy and she can marry him as she had not done years before because he was too poor. "While it isn't clear how he made all his money it is obvious that it was through illegal dealings in organized crime." F. Scott Fitzgerald often refers to the World Series of 1919 which was forged