The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that is set in the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald uses this book as a way to show the corruption in the nineteen-twenties. The novel is based on a series of events that happen in narrator Nick Carraway’s life. Nick moves from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island in search of the American Dream. Upon his arrival in Long Island, he meets a variety of people that become a large part of his life. Fitzgerald uses symbolism frequently throughout this novel. Merriam-Webster defines symbolism as the practice of representing items by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects or events. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses symbolism such as a green light, colors, Gatsby’s …show more content…
library, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, the valley of ashes, and The East Egg and West Egg neighborhoods to give the readers a deeper insight into the novel. In the novel the single green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is seen as a symbol of Gatsby’s hopes and dreams.
The green light is one of the first symbols readers encounter. The light acts as a physical symbol of Jay Gatsby’s dreams. It is a representation of everything that haunts Gatsby. Fitzgerald first introduces the light to the readers when Nick sees Gatsby for the first time. Nick sees Gatsby after coming home from a dinner and says “He stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, as 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, minute and far away” (26). The light is said to be “far away” which makes it seem impossible to reach (26). The same is true for Gatsby's dream of marrying Daisy. Gatsby begins to associate the green light with Daisy. The light shows the physical and emotional gap between Gatsby and Daisy (Florman). Gatsby’s dream of rekindling a past love he had with Daisy is ruined when he realizes he has been dreaming of Daisy with a kind of idealized perfection that she does not deserve. The purpose of the light is to show the readers the dreams Gatsby has and how the dreams change by the end of the …show more content…
book. Fitzgerald uses colors in The Great Gatsby in order to reveal the unconscious thoughts of characters.
The color green is one of the most significant colors seen in the novel. The color green seems to pop up everywhere in the story. The symbolism for green adapts different meanings throughout the novel. The color green can represent money and jealousy. Nick describes the interior of the car as “a sort of green leather conservatory,” and Fitzgerald uses the color green in this scene to symbolize money, or better yet, all the things money can buy (64). Later in the novel Fitzgerald writes, “In the sunlight his face was green;" the color green in this context is representing the jealousy George Wilson is feeling due to the fact that Tom is more healthy and more rich (117). The color green helps show the readers how the characters’ lives revolve around money and how jealous they become of one another when one is considered more
wealthy. Although, green is the most significant color Fitzgerald uses, it is definitely not the only one. Yellow and gold seem to play a big role in this novel. The color gold is seen as a representation of the higher class and “old money.” Yellow is seen as a fake gold and represents the lower class. The two colors are an easy way to distinguish between the ones with traditional money and the ones who are putting on a facade. Gatsby’s party shows that he is trying to fit in with the higher class but has not yet succeeded. His party has “yellow cocktail music”(44) playing, and Jordan and Nick sit with “two girls in yellow” (47). Gatsby even takes it so far as to wear a gold tie when going to see Daisy. The tie shows that Gatsby does not fit in with the higher class and is putting on a facade for the ones around him. The colors yellow and gold are used in this novel as a way to show the seperation between the ones who have always had money and the ones who are new to money. Gatsby’s library is yet another example of Gatsby putting on a facade. “It’s a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco. It’s a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop too - didn’t cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?” (49) says a drunk man at Gatsby's party who sits in awe at Gatsby’s library. This scene continues to show how much of a false exterior Gatsby puts on for the world. He wants the world to believe he is a well-educated man when in reality he has not even cut the book’s edges to be able to read the books. The books in Gatsby’s library “represent the fact that Gatsby is a fraud” (Shmoop). Fitzgerald uses the library to show readers what an outter front Gatsby is putting on for the ones around him. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are used in The Great Gatsby to represent an all knowing figure and also to show the corruption that is happening throughout the novel. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg appear early in the novel, when Nick notices the “blue and gigantic” set of eyes painted on a billboard while heading into New York. The billboard’s eyes watch down on the characters throughout the novel. The eyes are a symbol of God and how He sees all the bad that is happening throughout the book (Shmoop). During one scene in the story, George Wilson finds out that his wife, Myrtle Wilson, is having an affair with Tom Buchanan and says, “God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!” (167). This scene shows that the billboard’s eyes have become a god-like symbol to the characters. The set of eyes can also be interpreted as a representation of the corruption that is happening throughout the novel. The billboard’s eyes look down at the characters when they enter into New York, which is where all of the corruption happens. New York is where Tom carries on his affair, where Nick meets Wolfshiem, and where Daisy sees Gatsby; the billboard is purposely placed where the eyes can witness all of the awful things the characters are doing. The valley of ashes is between the West Egg and New York. It is a bleak piece of land where “ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke” (27). It becomes evident that the valley of ashes represents something dark and lifeless. The ashes stand for a form of destruction (Einem). The valley of ashes symbolizes the lack of morality the nineteen-twenties had. It also represents the corruption of the newly rich who seem to only care about themselves and disregard anything that interferes with their pleasures. The valley of ashes is also a representation of the poor who have to live outside of the expensive pleasures of life. In the novel there are two neighborhoods, East Egg and West Egg. Which neighborhood one lives in shows whether or not one is from a wealthy family or if one is new to wealth. The people in the East Egg have always been rich. This means the ones who live in the East Egg are seen as being more sophisticated and elegant than the residents of the West Egg. The West Egg is where people who are new to wealth live. The people who live here have not been exposed to money and greed their entire lives. The people in West Egg are described as being vulgar, gaudy, and lacking in social grace. Although East Egg is seen as being more sophisticated than West Egg, Fitzgerald portrays the higher class as a corrupt and morally wrong neighborhood in the story. The people who live in the West Egg are seen as people who have morals and ethics to live by. The West Egg and East egg are neighborhoods that are used as a way to show the seperation and difference between the old money and new money. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that is set in the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald uses this novel to show how corrupt the nineteen-twenties were. He uses symbolism of the colors green, gold, and yellow in order to express jealousy and the separation of the upper and lower classes. Fitzgerald also shows that Gatsby is putting on a front to the others around him by showing that the books in his library have been uncut and unread. Doctor T.J Eckleburg eye’s are symbols of God and how He is all-knowing, and the valley of ashes shows how corrupt and self-centered the wealthy have become. The East Egg and the West Egg show the separation between the families who have always had money and the families who are new to money. Fitzgerald uses all of these symbols throughout the novel to express his ideas and give the book a deeper meaning.
F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many colors as symbols in his book, The Great Gatsby. Among them: silver, gold, and green are all colors that represent Gatsby. Not only that, but they also connect Gatsby to a major theme of the novel, The American Dream. Silver symbolizes and relates to Gatsby through his glamour, his mysteriousness, and his distinguished nature. Gold signifies Gatsby through his enormous amount of wealth, and how extravagantly he shows it off. Green has to do with Gatsby by illustrating his desires. The Great Gatsby is a great book that has endured for almost a century, and is a classic about the Jazz Age. It is filled with symbols and themes, describing what were the great times and hardships of the 1920s.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us”(Fitzgerald 171). Whenever Gatsby looks at Daisy’s green light, he thinks of a bright future with his love of his life. The color green symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for a future with Daisy. Green also symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for great wealth. Nick describes Gatsby’s car as a “green leather conservatory” because the interior is green (Fitzgerald 64).
For most people, a certain colour may represent something meaningful to them. While in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the colours used in the novel are meant to represent something. The novel’s setting is in East and West Egg, two places in New York. Our narrator, Nick Carraway, lives in the West Egg. Along with living in West Egg is a friend of Nick’s, Jay Gatsby; a character that is in love with Daisy Buchanan. Unfortunately, Daisy is married to Tom. As the plot unravels, the reader notices the connection between certain colours and their importance to the novel. The use of colours within The Great Gatsby symbolizes actual themes, as grey symbolizes corruption, blue symbolizes reality, and green symbolizes jealousy and envy.
The green light symbolizes a dream just out of his grasp. Both the light and Daisy are located across the bay and he can see both within eyeshot. Interpreting this symbol can correlate with the plot because by the first chapter, readers get a glimpse into Gatsby’s situation with Daisy without any dialogue except narration. Nick Carraway, the narrator, notices Gatsby hang behind and look out into the bay cryptically: “... he stretched his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, … Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 26). This quote can also symbolize Jay Gatsby’s devotion for Daisy, as Nick says he sees “nothing except” the light, perhaps as Gatsby sees her as well. Color is a recurring device Fitzgerald uses, so the color represents a green light “go” The distance represents a theme of unattainability in pursuing Daisy, as she is preoccupied with marriage. So, the green light symbolizes elusiveness, introduces the contention between Gatsby and Daisy, and intertwines a theme of longing for a dream just out of
Symbolism & Color Imagery In The Great Gatsby. Francis Scott Fitzgerald uses colors to represent symbols and themes throughout The Great Gatsby. The characters in the novel are often associated with a key color and this can help depict emotions and feelings in certain events.
The thrill of the chase, the excitement in the dream, the sadness of the reality is all represented in the green light that encompasses Jay Gatsby’s attention in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The meaning contained in the green light consumed Gatsby in ways that demonstrated an unhealthy obsession in which five years of his life was spent attempting to get Daisy. The moment that dream became attainable to him, she fell right into his reach only to crush his heart. Five years were wasted on a dream that he really could not see. His life was spent changing himself to achieve “the dream.” Everyone needs to be able to say they lived their life to the fullest and have no regrets when it becomes their time. Do not waste it on an unrealistic
that he always observed Daisy from his house but all that he could see was the green light. He could only hope and dream about having Daisy by his side. This is before Gatsby finally met Daisy. When, at last, he met Daisy in Nick’s house, it seems that “the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 90). He had Daisy next by his side therefore “his count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.” (Fitzgerald 90). Not only does the green light represent Gatsby...
There are many types of symbolism in the novel The Great Gatsby. Probably the easiest to recognize were the colors and what they symbolized. The most obvious colors to point out would have to be green and white. Green supported feelings of many thoughts, ideas, and changes that Gatsby experienced throughout the story. It also represented peace and determination. White represented innocence and serenity. Another example of symbolism is when Gatsby broke the clock in Nick's house. This symbolized the factor that time played throughout the characters' lives.
Color symbolism is popular in novels written during the 1920’s. One such example is Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. There is much color symbolism in this novel, but there are two main colors that stand out more than the others. The colors green and white influence the story greatly. Green shows many thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and choices that Gatsby has throughout the story. White represents the stereotypical façade that every character is hiding behind.
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 green light symbolize the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. It’s Gatsby dream, hope, and desire to reunite with Daisy. He tries everything in his power to see Daisy. What he mainly does is throw parties to see if Daisy would show up and when she doesn’t, he goes in his backyard to see the green light which is where Daisy and her husband Tom lives at every time. When Gatsby started talking to Daisy it was like he was a brand person. He tried everything in his power to make Daisy to go back with him. That was in the beginning of the story, with that to describe the green light in this situation with Gatsby it was like a rebirth for him and the start of a new life.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is the master of symbolism. Symbolism plays a vital part in two of his most famous novels, The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night. From the valley of ashes to “Daddy’s Girl”, Fitzgerald weaves symbols throughout his novels that help the plot to thicken and progress. They also allow readers to look at the novels in a more analytical point of view, which makes the novels more interesting to read. Fitzgerald’s symbols truly make his works a pleasure to read.
Symbols are used to give common items a unique meaning. They can be used to express ideas or qualities. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses colors to emphasize the purpose of an object. The most prominent symbol in the book is the green light. Gatsby lives in the West Egg district of Long Island and he can see a green light from his house. The light emits from Daisy’s dock. It separates Gatsby and Daisy from each other and it charms Gatsby to reunite with Daisy. Gatsby is wealthy and lives in a marvelous mansion, but the only thing he wants is to reunite with Daisy. Many complications impede his progress like Daisy being married and having a child. The light represents the hazy future for Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby was
In America, the flag symbolizes freedom. Signs symbolize places. Well, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols all throughout the novel The Great Gatsby. He uses these symbols to show the importance of certain things, places, or people. A symbol is the meaning of an object. The characters, places, and seasonal settings are all example of Fitzgerald using symbols to add contrast to his novel.
The novel “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been a great read for many years because of the deep symbolism it is written with. Fitzgerald uses many different objects and colors to symbolize a variety of ideas and feelings. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald uses different colors as symbolism. Fitzgerald is very clever in how he connects colors to different feelings and themes in the novel.