Preview

What Does Love Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
279 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Does Love Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald there are many instances where symbolism is used. For sample, the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock represents the hope that Gatsby has that someday he and Daisy will finally be together. Symbolism also helps bring the theme of the novel to light. The most notable theme in this novel is love can make a person blind. Love plays a major role in the novel. All the actions of Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy are in direct relation with who or what they love. Throughout the novel, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg are used as a symbol for not truly seeing what is actually happening. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg are the most important symbol in the love that Daisy and Gatsby share.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    What Does The Owls Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Does The Owls Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald there are many symbolic meanings. One of biggest symbols in the book is the Owl-Eyed Man in Gatsby’s library. Another symbol in the book is the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckelburg on the Oculist’s sign in the city Valley of Ashes where Myrtle lives. Scott Fitzgerald wants us to look at the big pictures instead of staying in the little box that we look look through while reading his story. Noticing the very small things that could symbolize what he is writing about helps us find the key points that lead us to intensity.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eyes Of Eckleburg
    • 617 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Eyes Of Eckleburg

    There are many symbolic themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby; the names of people and places, attributes of characters or the green light at the end of the docks. One of the recurring and arguably most meaningful symbols of the story, however, are the eyes of the long since departed oculist T.J. Their various references and meanings as a symbol in the novel shall be discussed in this following text.…

    • 617 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Comparing Fitzgerald's Of Mice And Men
    • 4550 Words
    • 19 Pages

    Comparing Fitzgerald's Of Mice And Men

    Fitzgerald chooses the symbol of the green light to represent everything Gatsby longs and desires. The light represents hope, his dream of a life with Daisy as in the old times. On the other hand, in “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck uses the symbol of the animals, such as the rabbits to represent their safe place. In this case, the rabbits are a synecdoche since one thing stands for the whole dream. Moreover, this animal is warm and fuzzy, which is equal to Lennie’s childhood dream. “The Great Gatsby” presents a very significant symbol: the eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg. These eyes are and allusion to the eyes of God. It is the only God-like figure it can be seen throughout the novel. The only thing the society of that time can look up to are those eyes, meaning that there is no longer a religious figure to watch over the people and the events. On the other hand, in “Of Mice and Men”, the reader can appreciate a symbol in the killing of Candy’s dog. "Got no teeth, he's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?" His dog was old and crippled, as well as his master. As the dog was useless, Carlson suggests they should shoot him. This is a connotation of what happened to people at that time. When they were not useful, other people got rid of them. This passage can also be interpreted as a metaphor of what George must do to…

    • 4550 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Blindness In The Great Gatsby
    • 65 Words
    • 1 Page

    Examples Of Blindness In The Great Gatsby

    F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel about wealth in 1920's American culture, The Great Gatsby, includes various symbolic themes. One of which is the concept of blindness. This concept is referenced and represented numerous times within the novel. Examples include: a billboard advertising eyeglasses from a doctor named T.J. Eckleberg, a man the narrator dubs "Owl Eyes", and several figurative mentions used in dialogue and…

    • 65 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The Loss Of Love
    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The Loss Of Love

    Countee Cullen’s poem The Loss of Love deals with a theme that contrasts with Daisy and Gatsby’s fleeting dalliance in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. To illustrate, Cullen writes, “I have no will to weep or sing, / No least desire to pray or curse; / The loss of love is a terrible thing; / They lie who say that death is worse” (Cullen 20-24). Cullen has no will or hope to even pray that his lover will return. He is adamant that a loveless life is not worth living and that even death is less fatal than the loss of love. While, admittedly, I do think that Gatsby is a romantic, he is certainly not hopeless. For example, Jordan Baker, a character in The Great Gatsby, says, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across…

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

    Love Affairs In The Great Gatsby
    • 226 Words
    • 1 Page

    Love Affairs In The Great Gatsby

    Through the book the “Great Gatsby” there is a lot of love and with the love its affairs. During the entire story there was an affair going on. The main character is Gatsby and he gets caught in the middle of the whole situation. Between Tom and Daisy.…

    • 226 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Great Gatsby Green Light Analysis
    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Great Gatsby Green Light Analysis

    In most novels, the rhetorical device of symbolism is used to enhance the depth and meaning of a story. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 American novel, The Great Gatsby, he utilizes the green light, the valley of ashes, and the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg to portray the central theme of the hopelessness of the American dream.…

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

    What Does The Gold Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    What Does The Gold Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    Sometimes a symbol is all you need to say a thousand words. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby the lavish lifestyle of many of the characters ultimately leads to major consequences as their actions play a part in the crumbling American Dream. The tragic story of love, greed, and secrets exploits the toxic lifestyle of Gatsby, Daisy, and others in both West and East Egg. The significance of the many symbolic elements in The Great Gatsby reveals the themes that led to the downfall of many of the characters.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Theme Of Love In The Great Gatsby
    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Theme Of Love In The Great Gatsby

    F. Scott Fitzgerald presents many themes in his novel, The Great Gatsby. A theme Fitzgerald used was love and how it affects everybody around one another. This theme is expressed throughout the book by how the energy changes when one doesn’t like another person they are with. The motif of weather shows when a relationship is a little unclear it rains and when there is tension it becomes very hot. The first reference showing the connection between the weather and love was “Some weather!...Hot!...Hot!...Hot!...Is it hot enough for you?”(Fitzgerald 115). This presents that…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 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 Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    Symbolism, the appropriation of an object or word to represent an abstract idea of quality, is used in literature in order to communicate a deeper meaning and facilitate weaving the thematic intricacies of the plot with one another. In the highly acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbols are mentioned frequently to provide insight, such as the omniscient eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg, the mysterious Valley of Ashes, and the glowing green light Gatsby finds himself mesmerized with. The green light Gatsby reaches out for at the end of Daisy's east egg dock represents his hopes and dreams, and is symbolic of Daisy as his ultimate key to success, not only romantically, but monetarily and socially, exemplifying…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

    In “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses symbolism in such detailed way. Fitzgerald integrates symbolism into the book so well that it is necessary to read it several times to fully understand it. Maureen Corrigan quotes “Many of us first read it when we were too young to fully comprehend its power.” Even a critic on the book itself had to read the story many times to fully understand all that the book has to offer. Fitzgerald focuses on three main themes in “The Great Gatsby” they are time, loss of appearance, and perspective. Most of the book’s structure is in one of these categories. In order to fully understand the book, we must better understand these three themes.…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Does The Great Gatsby Represent
    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Does The Great Gatsby Represent

    "You must remember, old sport, she was very excited this afternoon. He told her those things in a way that frightened her – that made it look as if I was some kind of cheap sharper. And the result was she hardly knew what she was saying." (Fitzgerald 159) is a quote made by Jay Gatsby, the main character of the novel The Great Gatsby. This character is best described as being infatuated.…

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

    The Green Light In The Great Gatsby
    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Green Light In The Great Gatsby

    “I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light” The green light at the end of Daisy's dock is the symbol of Gatsby's hopes and dreams. "Dr. Eckleburg's eyes are the eyes of God, which sees everything." The sign in front of the house with the girl that Tom is cheating with.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

    Eckleburg and in the middle and low classes. Whatever the eyes sees is what the mind wants to imagine. Myrtle and George both have blue eyes because they are both middle class people who aspire to have wealth. Myrtle has a dark shade of blue which implies that she desperately desires wealths. To further elaborate, her eyes represents her aspirations from what she sees in her relationship with Tom. Tom provides Myrtle hope in which she can use him to receive money. Ironically, Myrtle neglects to see with her blue eyes the true nature of the Tom. While in contrast, George does not have a strong sense of desire in wealth or a passion for the future and instead focuses on what is around him at the moment. He focuses on what he has rather than what he desires to have. Fitzgerald describes Gatsby’s gardens as “Blue gardens men and girls came like moths” as to imply Gatsby’s hopes to attract Daisy the same way that other people run to his parties. Fitzgerald uses small detail such as the description of the characters to convey symbolism and themes for each character. For instance the day when Gatsby’s car crashes into Myrtle is when Fitzgerald describes E.J Eckleburg’s eyes as, “ Dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground” (24). This signifies Gatsby’s hopes and dreams is deteriorated and is faded as Gatsby would soon see Daisy’s true…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics