Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Most authors take time to put real meaning and purpose into their writings. Typically, all stories have a moral or message that one can draw from them. Born September 24, 1896, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald knew that his calling was writing. Although Fitzgerald grows up to write many different works, he does not receive real recognition until after his death in 1940 [“F(rancis)”]. Fitzgerald writes many compositions in the 1920s that are still well-known today. The Great Gatsby and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” are two of his more popular works, that hold meaning and purpose. This is true in most of Fitzgerald’s writings; however, in his short stories “Mr. Icky” and “Jemina” there seems to be little to no purpose in his writing of them and no meaning in the stories themselves. Fitzgerald himself “admitted that most of his short stories were written much more quickly and carelessly than his novels,” leading one to see why these two short stories are much more futile than his carefully written novels ["F(rancis)”]. American Jazz Age author F. Scott Fitzgerald

Icky” and “Jemina” make this easy to believe. Instead of taking the time to make these stories have any type of meaning, he writes a story that not only does not have a well thought out plot, but one that the reader can take nothing away from. Many stories empower the reader by seeing the underdog overcome his obstacles, move the reader by seeing someone go through a tragic event only to become stronger, or even devastate the reader when the most beloved character of the story dies. The diverse types of emotions that one can feel as they are reading a piece of literature is endless. However, when reading “Mr. Icky” and “Jemina” one does not feel these various emotions because of the lack of an immersive plot and character development. Compared to some of Fitzgerald’s other short stories and novels these two stories are extremely