Theme Of Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby is about the wealthy Jay Gatsby who is in pursuit of reconquering Daisy Buchanan’s love. Each of the character’s decaying morality, however, has led to the collapse of the American dream like that of Gatsby’s. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scotts Fitzgerald manifests the religious aspects and symbols of degeneration throughout the Roaring Twenties.
Of all the most obvious figurative language, symbolism stands out the most, particularly in relation with Jesus. With numerous symbols, it truly defines the classic of The Great Gatsby. Toward the end of the novel, all the actions of Gatsby remind the figure of Jesus. For example, in the scene of the garage at Gatsby’s house, Gatsby brings the air mattress over his shoulder. The air mattress is similar to the cross Jesus carries over his shoulder on his way to his death. In another example, “[Gatsby] stopped and shifted it a little, and the chauffer asked him if he needed help,” but he refused (Fitzgerald 128). With this sense of familiarity, one can refer to Simon from the Bible, who asks Jesus if he needed help carrying the cross. In addition, in the Bible, Jesus accepts the sins of the people and dies for them. Reminiscent of Jesus, Gatsby, in due course, dies at the end of the novel from a similar cause. He was with Daisy in the car when she ran over Myrtle. Daisy, however, did not stop to see who she killed and drove away. Her sin, therefore, was not to take full responsibility for her actions. In turn, George, the husband of Myrtle, shoots Gatsby mistakenly thinking he killed her. Gatsby instead suffers the consequences that Daisy should be facing. For that reason, “[] Gatsby is ultimately a Jesus figure in that he dies for Daisy’s sin,” (Dilworth). Gatsby dies innocen...

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...s over the valley of ashes, however, is “[a] mankind fallen from grace into an ash-gray of [] ambitions …” (Hauhart). The setting is often connected to the killing of Gatsby. When Gatsby was killed by George Wilson, he later killed himself. This event later comes with short phrase, “the holocaust was complete,” (Fitzgerald 162). With that phrase, it tells the people of how God view the world, one which lacks compassion and morality that are represented by the ashes.
In conclusion, the religious aspects, such as immorality, are among the causes that plagued the characters in the novel. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a story that displays the symbolism of religion and the lack of it that can be comprehended by the individual Jesus, the representation of the dog, and degradation seen in the valley of ashes. All of those justly embody the Roaring Twenties.

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