F. Scott Fitzgerald uses multiple symbols to convey the theme of his classic novel, “The Great Gatsby.” A symbol can be defined as a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbolism is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. A symbols purpose in a story is often to stand for something abstract…
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The Great Gatsby, by F.S. Fitzgerald is set in America, New York City and Long Island, during the roaring twenties after World War 1. It is a hedonistic society which pursued the American Dream selfishly and recklessly. Fitzgerald used symbolism throughout his novel to emphasise and enhance the idea of the American Dream and the pursuit behind it. In the 1920s it was almost every Americans aspiration to host extravagant parties, own the finest cars, live in elaborate and expensive homes and to live…
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Gatsby: The Story of Us Jay Gatsby is one of the most memorable characters ever written in literature. Whether it be his extravagant parties, his overwhelming wealth, or simply his compassionate smile, Gatsby never fails to captivate the reader. Although Mr. Gatsby plays a large role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s critically acclaimed novel The Great Gatsby, there is a stronger force at work within this literary classic. Sometimes hidden deep within the lines or even standing in plain sight, symbolism…
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novel The Great Gatsby is a novel that remarks on the American culture during the twenties. This is shown through The Valley of Ashes, Gatsby's gatherings, Gatsby,Myrtle, and George. Through these characters and places Fitzgerald shows satire, how the American dream isn't genuine any longer and how it has changed with improper exercises and activities that support the selfish needs of others. The American dream had been replaced to a quest for money than enjoyment. The valley of Ashes is an example…
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reader is able to connect to the story. Scott F. Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, became a best seller because of the symbolism used to express the theme throughout the novel. Many people think of the American Dream as being free and everything is is good. However, there is a dark side about it. Without this symbolism, the theme of the dying American Dream, the book would have never gotten to where it is today. This theme is what really made up the book. Some of the most obvious examples of the…
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Symbols While in my first reading of the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I failed to grasp the true understanding of all the symbols throughout the book. I thought that the green light, the valley of ashes, and T.J Eckleburg’s eyes were just coincidence or landmarks passed by regularly. However, in my second reading those three symbols help us as readers to understand the book on a deeper level; the green light stands for hope, valley of ashes symbolizes the moral and social decay, and T.J…
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the novel The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald. There are multiple characters and locations that are blind to reality and what is going on around them. Such as Gatsby, George Wilson, and a location would be the Valley of Ashes. Gatsby is especially blind because all he is focused on is making Daisy happy and on his wealth. George Wilson is blinded by his hatred for Gatsby and by Myrtle's affair with Tom Buchanan. The Valley of Ashes also symbolizes blindness…
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The Great Gatsby Datrice Mulsumo Melvin Joyce Word count: 951 The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F.Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920’s that ties power with wealth. Those with wealth have the power over the less fortunate such as farmers and laborers. This theme is portrayed through the characters of the book, how they live their…
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The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, at the billboard, looking down with a “persistent stare” at the citizens living in the Valley of Ashes, are the closest thing to God that Nick has ever seen in his time in New York. “I followed him over a low whitewashed railroad fence, and we walked back a hundred yards along the road under Doctor Eckleburg’s persistent stare.” Like the eyes of God, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg sees everything, every sin that is committed, every choice that is made and every…
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make due with the cards they were dealt? In her piece The Great Gatsby: Driving to Destruction with the Rich and Careless at the Wheel, Jacqueline Lance equates the personalities and characteristics of the characters in The Great Gatsby to the characteristics of their respective automobiles, suggesting stationary character personas. Just as Lance suggests a lack of mobility in character personalities through her analysis of The Great Gatsby and the prevalence of automobiles, F. Scott Fitzgerald proposes…
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