Similes In The Great Gatsby

‘The Great Gatsby’ was written by Scott Fitzgerald in France in the spring of 1924. Fitzgerald was inspired to write the book by the grand parties he attended on prosperous Long Island. This commentary of ‘The Great Gatsby’ focuses on chapter five, Fitzgerald's use of simile, symbols and allusions.

Fitzgerald uses multiple similes to represent the main character, Gatsby’s mind. Fitzgerald stated， ‘Now, in the reaction, he was running down like an overwound clock.‘ Compare Gatsby to a wind-up clock. This mirrors how excited he was and how he could not control his emotions when he saw Daisy again after five years. Then, Fitzgerald describes the distance between Daisy and Gatsby. He also wrote， ‘It had seemed as close as a star to the moon’

The Moon and the star can also allude to the differences between Daisy and Gatsby. In addition, they are different from beginning to end, including social classes, concepts and so on. These similes express the beauty of two people reunited and also exhibit the hidden danger.

Symbolisms run through the text. The first one is the clock. While Gatsby was staring at Daisy in disbelief, Fitzgerald described that "his head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock" and that "the clock took a moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place". Gatsby's clumsiness with the clock is symbolic. His unusual behavior and reactions to the clock imply that he can’t control time, can’t turn back time, and can’t be with Daisy as they used to be. The second one is Gatsby’s fancy clothes he always wore. The Author wrote, "Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold coloured tie, hurried in.’ The white pottery– how artless and pure, represents Gatsby wanting Daisy to fall in love with him again. The gold and silver represent his opulent wealth, as well as