The Green Light Symbolism In The Great Gatsby - 796 Words

The American Dream is defined as â€Å"the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative†. But, by the 1920’s the American dream had become twisted and was more about becoming rich than being happy. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, several symbols are used to illustrate the corruption of the American Dream. These symbols include the green light, the valley of ashes and the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg. A symbol that is repeated multiple times throughout the novel is the green light. The green light is the light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock across the bay from Gatsby’s house. In the night, Gatsby looks across and stares at the light. To†¦show more content†¦Everyone living in the valley of ashes wants desperately to escape but cannot which shows the impossibility of achieving the American dream. For example, Wilson, who owns a garage in the valley of ashes, works hard everyday but still does not have enough money to leave the valley or satisfy his wife, Myrtle. Myrtle also wants to leave and attempts to by cheating on Wilson with Tom. In the end, this attempted escape leads to her death. The valley also represents the differences between the upper and lower class. The valley is covered in ashes because it is an industrial dumping ground, which shows the growing commercialism of America. Industries are just dumping these ashes and do not care about the peo ple living there or the environment. This can be considered a parallel to the upper class causing and dumping all of their problems on the people around them. Lastly, the corruption of the American Dream can also be shown through the symbol of the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg. The eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg â€Å"are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose†. The billboard is a pair of spectacled eyes that were meant to promote an optometrist’s business. This promotion shows the growing commercialism in America in the 1920’s. The eyes can also represent God starringShow MoreRelatedGreen Light Symbolism In The Great Gatsby877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby symbolizes a major part of whats so called the â€Å"American Dream.† But what is Fitzgeralds assertion on the American Dream? The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, deliv ers a perspective of the American society in the 1920s, also the American Dream and It’s mysteries. There are many symbolizes throughout the novel, for example, the bright green light Gatsby gazes from across the oceanside of his Mansion - â€Å"I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minuteRead More Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesGatsby Essay Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. For example, a dove is usually used to represent peace. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald uses a lot of symbolism to connect the characters with each other or to other objects. Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism helps advance his thematic interest in his novel of The Great Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objectsRead MoreEssay Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby520 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is filled with symbols and symbolism, which try to convey Fitzgeralds ideas to the reader. The symbols are uniquely involved in the plot of the story, which makes their implications more real. There are three major symbols that serve very important significance in the symbolism of the novel. They are the valley of the ashes, the reality that represents the corruption in the world, the green light of Daisys lap that Gatsby sees across the bayRead MoreEssay Symbolism in The Great Gatsby864 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, The Great Gatsby, there is lots of reflection on symbolism, and especially colored symbolism. In this novel symbolism is a very important factor, it shows the difference between the different characters and scenes in the novel. The color green influences the story a lot. Green shows many thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and choices that Gatsby has throughout the story. White too plays an even more important role in the novel as it is used to represent some of the characters, it also talksRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald706 Words   |  3 PagesNever has symbolism played such a crucial part in the very foundation of a novel as it does in Scott Fitzgeralds masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. Harold Bloom has written about this book. The author used several types of symbolism in The Great Gatsby. The colours are probably the easiest to be recognized and guessed what they symbolized. According to the definition â€Å"symbolism† is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objectsRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1236 Words   |  5 PagesDouglass 1 Morgan Douglass Mrs. Fry 3B Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald is an author known for his best-selling book, The Great Gatsby. The story is about a man, Jay Gatsby, who was in love with Daisy Buchanan. Daisy was married to Tom, but Tom was cheating on her with Myrtle Wilson. There were two islands the story took place in: East Egg and West Egg. East Egg was the â€Å"old money,† or money passed down from ancestors, while West Egg represented the â€Å"new money,† or self- madeRead MoreGreat Gatsby Color Imagery Symbolism Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesColor imagery in The Great Gatsby is vital to the books storyline. If there was no color imagery then the reader could not associate a certain person or thing with a color or idea. Fitzgerald uses the color so people can remember the person more than just their name. The use of color imagery greatly impacts the story line. One of the main colors in The Great Gatsby is white. White represents the innocence and purity in the book. Daisy and Jordan are first introduced wearing white. It makes you thinkRead MoreSymbolism Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald901 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism of Color in Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby was portrayed as one of the greatest novels in American History. But, it is also analyzed as having multiple lenses. This book has been broken down into a ton of symbolisms and it has also been analyzed for every character. The book The Great Gatsby communicates symbolism with the many colors the story line uses and the different way portrays these colors through the settings and plots. The color green is related back to hope. â€Å"He (Gatsby) stretchedRead More Symbolism in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald1628 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby is a classic American novel, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1927 about corruption, murder and life in the 1920’s. The true purpose for a writer to compose any piece of literature is to entertain the reader, and this writer does this to the best of his ability. In this well-crafted tale, Fitzgerald presents a fast moving, exciting story, and to any typical reader it can be enjoyed; however, if the reader takes the timeRead MoreGreat Gatsby Film Analysis Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby Film Analysis The 2013 drama/romance movie, The Great Gatsby, is the second movie adaption made based off the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. Co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, this film received both glory and criticism upon its release. The Great Gatsby is well known for its â€Å"Gatsby era† as well as the love encircled between money and power. Without the glitz and glam of this story in conjunction with the forever love Jay Gatsby, a millionaire known for his