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The Great Gatsby Response Essay

1206 Words5 Pages

Carter Davidson
Ms. Crowell
AP Lang - 7
16 February 2023
Title of Your Report
What is the American Dream and who has access to it? This is a question that is ever-present at the forefront of American culture, one that many would describe as the opportunity for success achievable by all, regardless of status or origin. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald sends readers a distinct message regarding the true nature of the dream, and how it’s not as accessible as everyone likes to believe. Set in the 1920s, the novel follows the wealthy character Nick Carraway and his friendship with mysterious billionaire Jay Gatsby. Through his use of symbolism in colors, objects, and locations, Fitzgerald is able to turn this story of just …show more content…

One of the most profound uses of color in the novel is the relationship between gold and yellow representing a divide in wealth between the new and the old. The author bestows the color gold upon the community of East Egg and Daisy, who is the embodiment of this wealth. Fitzgerald uses this imagery when he writes, “Her voice was full of money…high in a white palace, the king's daughter, the golden girl...” Daisy is described as the ‘golden girl’ as she represents the high-class status that Gatsby so desires. However, for all of the extravagance of the West Egg lifestyle, Gatsby is only ever able to achieve an imitation of wealth in the color yellow, symbolically represented by his car. While the car is intricate and lustrous, it is only seen as “a yellow car, a big yellow car. New.” While Gatsby strives for an appearance of wealth, it is just that: an appearance. An interesting connection between yellow and gold is their link to death. It is George Wilson’s yellow house in the Valley of Ashes that he and Myrtle lived in until their deaths. It is Gatsby’s yellow car that strikes down the woman. It is the yellow eyes of TJ Eckleburg that push Mr. Wilson to kill Gatsby and himself. Gold also appears in the aftermath of Myrtle's death in Gatsby’s mansion, as the sun “[fills] the house with grey-turning, gold-turning light.” The use of these two colors to represent death is …show more content…

In the novel, Gatsby is often surrounded by these symbolic objects. One of these is the mantle clock in Nick’s house. As Fitzgerald paints the scene, he describes how “Luckily the clock took this 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 foolishly knocking over the clock represents his ignorance of time, as he is locked in an endless quest to return to his forgotten love with Daisy. While in reality, it is impossible to return to the past, Gatsby disregards this, which later brings along one of his most famous quotes: “‘Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!’” Another notable example of this concept is represented by the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. Fitzgerald introduces them with an eerie undertone: He points out that “The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg 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 non-existent nose.” These eyes come into play at the end of the novel after Myrtle's death. As her grief-stricken husband George stares into the unwavering eyes risen above the barren ashes, he labels them as the eyes of God urging him to take revenge. Fitzgerald describes the terrifying scene in detail: “‘God sees everything,’ repeated Wilson. ‘That's an advertisement,’ Michaelis assured

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