The Symbolism of the Great Gatsby

Symbolism of The Great Gatsby
By Michelle McInnes

The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are a symbol of karma and overall morality in the eyes of the judgements of a higher power and of Nick, who came from a much more wholesome and less distorted part of America. Their meaning for Gatsby is assumed to be his ultimate failure in giving up his self respect and morals for the pursuit of monay and status.
The green light on the dock represents the distance between Jay Gatsby and Daisy. A physical distance because thought they were once deeply in love, Daisy felt inclined or was internally forced by social expectations to marry a man with money, Tom, and not a “poor boy” at the time Jay. He spends his time and money attempting to get Daisy’s attention and impress her by flaunting his money. She still considers him to be a lower class and is caught in the rules of her own class, thus unable to see him as a man of means, though he has money. The green light also represents the longing Jay Gatsby has for Daisy, and his hope for the future, as it guides him towards his goals as an American and as a man in love.
The Valley of Ashes represent the slide downward of the ideals and morals of Americans. The gap which seperates new money and poor people from the wealth of old money. This place is barren and useful only for dumping and is a significant symbol of where Americans become stuck in the social and moral sludge of their own desires for money, wealth and fame.