Symbolism in The Great Gatsby essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby essays What use does Fitzgerald make of symbolism in the novel? Francis Scott Fitzgerald is the author of the The Great Gatsby. The novel takes place during the 1920s or as it is also known The Jazz Age and it is set in Long Island and New York. Many important things were happening in America. For example, a cultural revolution burst out and the stock market boomed making many Americans rich, thus giving them the opportunities to waste their money in huge parties and expensive things. The reader is given the point of view of the narrator, Nick Carraway, because he narrates the story in first person. He is very objective when giving his opinions and he describes only what he observes around him at that same time. In order to express the ideas in the novel, the author uses a lot of symbolism. A symbol is an element of imagery, in which a real object stand not only for itself but for some abstract idea as well. They can be objects, figures, or colors that can represent a variety of things. The author uses symbols all over the novel to enhance th e conflicts between the characters, thus reflecting some of the main themes in the novel. He also uses it to help the reader imagine and understand the things that are happening. The green light represent hopes and dreams, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg symbolize the eyes of God, and the Valley of Ashes represent the corruption and decadence of society. A central theme of the novel I think, is the idea that people arent satisfied with what they have, they are always going further and further, never knowing when to stop, and always determined to achieve dreams that seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. Gatsby has spent his whole life longing for better things like money, success, acceptance, and Daisy, but no matter how much he has never felt complete. Even when he has his large house full of interesting people and all of their...