Symbolism has always had a huge part throughout American literature, it is an idea that personifies a bigger picture of a person or situation to develop the overall theme of the text. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the clock in Nick's house where Daisy and Gatsby are reunited after 5 years, represents that appearance differs from reality due to their past relationship. When Nick enters the room *where Daisy and Gatsby were awkwardly sitting, Gatsby is leaning nervously "against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock" (86) Soon after the clock starts to tip off the mantle. Before the clock has the chance to fall Gatsby deftly catches it and Nick says, "I think we all believed for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor." The clock was symbolizing the distance that Daisy and Gatsby…show more content… When Gatsby realizes this he tells Tom that Daisy still loves him, Daisy abruptly responds, "Oh, you want too much!" she cried to Gatsby. "I love you now isn't that enough? I can't help what's past." She began to sob helplessly. "I did love him once but I loved you too." Gatsby's eyes opened and closed..."You loved me TOO?" he repeated. Overtime Gatsby had tried so hard to obtain the power of wealth to win Daisy over, but this ended up causing him to lose her because she moved on. Money then dramatically interfered with Gatsby's life or even worse, his love because “Time is money.” In reality humans struggle with their past and goals, at one point or another in our lives we always reflect back to a good memory which causes us to want to recreate that memory. But we can not escape the past no matter how hard we try, just like Gatsby being the hard headed character he is, tried so hard to win Daisy back he was stuck in the moment. Throughout the Great Gatsby, the overall message shows how if you are living in the past you aren't living at
