Preview

Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
649 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays the Jazz Age and the people living during the time. The reader watches the unfortunate story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan through the eyes of Nick Carraway. His semi-involved character witnesses the events unfold right in front of his eyes as he lives next door to Gatsby. Critics often regard this tale of love, betrayal, and immoral living an essential classic for all high-school students.

The cover provides an excellent source of symbolism and insight into meaning of the novel. The sad, hypnotic eyes of a woman shine through the night sky like two headlights. Inside the eyes, the irises appear as lounging nude women. A green tear streams down from the one eye and vivid red lips complete the face. No nose or other recognizable facial forms appear on this figure, but a few dark streaks behind the title suggest hairlines. Other dark lines resemble the outline of a street. Brightly colored lights glow on the ground beneath the visage. …show more content…
The eyes represent a direct reference to those of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg on the billboard in the city. Both sets of eyes seem eerily ominous, yet they also have a mystical quality about them, almost god-like in their appearance. The irises symbolize Gatsby's sexuality and his views about Daisy. He watches Daisy with lustful eyes and the inner eye could signify his dreams about his future with her. Emerging from the center of the cover, the bright red lips suggest the sensuality of
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Great Gatsby Morally Ambiguous Characters
    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Great Gatsby Morally Ambiguous Characters

    The Great Gatsby essay The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel about a man named Jay Gatsby who is living in the era which Fitzgerald referred to as the Jazz Age. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway who characterizes himself as, “one of the few honest people that I have ever known.” Speaking of characterization, Fitzgerald writes masterfully to create morally ambiguous characters which have a huge impact on the story. Although George Wilson was morally ambiguous, Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are examples of characters with more impact on the story which are also morally ambiguous.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby
    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a romantic tragedy about a man named Nick Carraway who gets involved with the life of Jay Gatsby and his not-so secretive love for Daisy Buchanan. A critic named Lionel Trilling once said, “Jay Gatsby is to be thought of as standing for America itself.” This is proven to be true because Gatsby moves up in life and pursues his dream. He is an example for the American way because he fails at certain things and succeeds at others.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page

    Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Colors are a powerful form of communication used to convey what words cannot. Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism in the form of color is on display in nearly every chapter of The Great Gatsby. To understand his use of color as a symbol, a reader must recognize the situations in which they are used. Fitzgerald applies colors to his characters to hint at their personalities. The colors are intentionally repeated multiple times to establish a significance between them and the characters personality they are used to symbolize. Therefore, to understand each character entirely, colors must be considered. Throughout The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses color symbolism to show how people mask their personalities to hide from the truth which results in negative…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Great Gatsby Symbolism
    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Great Gatsby Symbolism

    The symbols in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in chapters 6-9 suggest that not everything is always as it seems and people may believe they know the whole truth, but that is not always the case. In chapter 6 of the Great Gatsby, everyone created a false sense of happiness in their lives, but in reality no one, but the eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg were the only ones that saw the harsh truth. T.J Eckleburg's eyes symbolizes that not everyone knows the whole truth but the eyes of Eckleburg, and that his eyes are always watching... “over the ashheaps the giant eyes of T.J Eckleburg kept their vigil” (Fitzgerald 124). The illusion is that there is always someone watching, but the reality is that just because it seems someone is watching…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

    It is the widespread smear of blue, the vibrant sprouts of green and the sight of all things on earth.Colors are made up of everything and although what the human eyes claims to see is not certain that every organism sees has played with our imagination through childhood. Each of the infinite colors has it’s own value and personal definition to everyone. It engages the eyes with the mind into imagination and in some ways are deceptive. For example red, was feared in America during 1920’s because it was associated with communism and uncertainty. Red is usually associated in the cinema as the evil force. However, it is also a symbol for good luck in China and India. Colors have their own symbolic definition that are associated with. In a similar…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby Vs Buchanan
    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Gatsby Vs Buchanan

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel exploring the roaring twenties and the American Dream. The story is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway during the summer of 1922. The novel explores the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful and fickle Daisy Buchanan and how it affects the characters around them, including the also wealthy Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband. Marrying him allowed Daisy to be as rich as Gatsby, but it also revealed that she and Tom had fundamentally different values than Gatsby. Although Gatsby’s and the Buchanans’ home lives appear similar, the small variances represent the fundamental differences between the occupants. Gatsby and the Buchanans both hold grand parties, but while…

    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Movie Analysis
    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Great Gatsby Movie Analysis

    The American Dream The Great Gatsby is a movie directed by Baz Luhrmann. The movie represents the novel ‘'The Great Gatsby'' written by Scott Fitzgerald. It is Scott's analysis on the American society during the Roaring Twenties. The characters represent the American Dream. The main-characters in this story are Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Daisy Buchanan.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby Symbolism Essay
    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gatsby Symbolism Essay

    The first symbol we see in the book is the green light at the end of Gatsby’s pier. The first time we hear of it, we do not think much of it because all we see is Gatsby just staring at it. Literally we think of this light as something that just lights up the pier, but is a little more than that. The reason Gatsby moved to this house was to be right across the bay from Daisy, but this light is not just about Daisy. The green light represents the whole lifestyle he wanted to have with Daisy. He wanted to be rich, have the girl, and live the lavish lifestyle of a millionaire. He was able to accomplish two of these things but was able to get the one he most wanted. This is important to the story because during most of the book, Gatsby was doing everything in his power to be with Daisy again. He bought a house close to her, threw parties in attempt to find her, and got his friends to help him get Daisy. Even after all of this he was never able to be with Daisy. So the green light really just symbolized Gatsby’s attempts to win over the girl he loves but never able to do so.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How does F. Scott Fitzgerald use symbolism in the novel 'The Great Gatsby.'
    • 1329 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How does F. Scott Fitzgerald use symbolism in the novel 'The Great Gatsby.'

    F. Scott Fitzgerald uses much symbolism in his literature, here in the novel The Great Gatsby. He uses the image of Doctor T. J. Eckelburg 's eyes to symbolize a godlike being. Fitzgerald uses the symbol of the two women in yellow at Gatsby 's party to represent the values of the 1920 's. The food provided at Gatsby 's party symbolically represents the members of 1920 's society. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Symbolism in the novel The Great Gatsby as an accurate reflection of life in the American 1920 's. In The Great Gatsby the symbol of T. J. Eckelburg 's eyes represent a godly being watching over society. Fitzgerald incorporates the eyes into his novel to represent a pair of all seeing, all knowing and judging eyes, which are meant to intimidate. The character of George Wilson believes that the eyes are the eyes of God. "I spoke to her," he muttered, after a long silence. "I told her she might fool me but she couldn 't fool God. I took her to the window- " With an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned his face pressed against it, "-and I said 'God knows what you 've been doing, everything you 've been doing. You may fool me but you can 't fool God! ' " Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. "God sees everything," repeated Wilson. (p.167)…

    • 1329 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Endless are the opportunities to read and analyze the numerous symbols and themes in “The Great Gatsby”. There is no end in terms of interpretations of these symbols such as the green light, or T.J Eckleburg’s glaring eyes, that is one of the great things about them, the discussion is…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Great Gatsby Reality
    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Is The Great Gatsby Reality

    The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott.Fitzgerald is merely a story of disillusionment. Fitzgerald through the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy showed that people were not only ignorant of the rest of the world, but of what went on in their personal lives. Out of all the characters in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby himself was the most out of touch with reality. He created Daisy in his mind as something out of this world, beautiful, and amazing. Through time away from Daisy Gatsby became more and more in love with the idea of Daisy than Daisy herself. Daisy on the other hand, saw Gatsby as an illusion of the perfect man that was shattered when she found he was broke and unable to keep her financially secure. Through Gatsby’s oblivion in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Corruption In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Corruption In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Great Gatsby captures the story of a man motivated by his passion to find love. The novel encapsulates the agony Jay Gatsby experiences throughout his journey to acquire the affection and devotion he so greatly desires from the woman of his dreams. The book portrays the corruption of the 1920s and the collateral damage it has upon society. As unfortunate as the occurrences within the plot seem, there is a shocking reality that lies beneath them. The story of The Great Gatsby strongly parallels to the life of the author, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, reflecting upon the tragedies that he encountered along his pursuit for love due to the lack of morality that existed in the 1920s.…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dilemmas In The Great Gatsby
    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dilemmas In The Great Gatsby

    The Great Dilemma The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is about a young man who has fallen in love with a young woman. But at the time they meet, they are unable to be together I think because of complications surrounding WW1. A few years later in the 20's, they meet again, but Daisy married to a man named Tom, and has a child. Gatsby then tries everything to get her to fall for him and leave Tom. Gatsby gains money by unscrupulous means and buys a house close by to where Tom and Daisy live and has parties every night to try and impress her. Gatsby is New Money whereas Daisy is Old Money and so that seperates them. The story is narrated by Nick, Daisy’s cousin and an old friend of Tom. He becomes friends with Gatsby and acts almost as a connector between between the two houses. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby goes through some emotional dilemmas. Throughout the book, the author uses mood, color, and symbolism to reflect Gatsby’s dilemmas. Because Fitzgerald uses mood, color, and symbolism throughout his…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Character Analysis of Jay Gatsby in F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
    • 1141 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Character Analysis of Jay Gatsby in F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby Paper The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, Nick Carraway. Nick tells the story of a man named Jay Gatsby, who is his neighbor in the West Egg. Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as a man who everyone wants to know and copy but deep down are very envious of him. Gatsby trusts few people and those whom he trusts know his life story. To everyone else, he is a mystery. Everyone seems obsessed with Jay Gatsby. For this reason the novel revolves about rumors of Gatsby rather than the truth.…

    • 1141 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

    ⅡUnderstanding of American Slang 2.1 Definition of Slang 2.1.1 … According to the explanation of Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary, slang means very informal words, phrases commonly used in speech, especially between people from the same social group or who work together, and slang is not considered suitable for formal contexts and often not in use for long. (Chomsky, 1999)…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics