Turning Point In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his novel, The Great Gatsby, to represent the rise and fall of the American Dream, an ideal worshipped during the 1920s. The author places the rich and wealthy lifestyle on a higher level while he shows the dramatic consequences of moral and social decay amongst the characters within the story. As each turning point is revealed by the author, the American Dream slowly crumbles in the selfish hands of those who feel as if they are the most important people. The importance of the many symbolic elements in The Great Gatsby, play a role in revealing the underlying themes of the American Dream and the experience that each character has, mainly Gatsby. It also shows the ongoing clash between love and wealth, and social and

T.J Eckleburg. These eyes are known to symbolize the loss of the spiritual values with in America. The billboard was first erected to try and promote the business of an optometrist, but also, the eyes symbolize the growing of commercialism of America. Life in America is all about making money and trying to pursue the dream. A man is measured in terms of the amount of money he is worth, not of what kind of person he is. However, the eyes of Eckleburg also symbolize the corruption of many of America’s people. His eyes stare down on the characters as they pass underneath the billboard on their way into the New York City where Tom carries on with his adulterous affair, where Gatsby drives Nick to meet Wolfsheim – the man who fixed the world series. Lastly and most importantly, the eyes can also suggest the hollowness of the American Dream. There is this idea that someone can achieve the dream if they are willing to work had enough and take advantage of all their opportunities. This can be seen in the novel where Gatsby and Myrtle bootleg. For many, life is the nightmare of the ‘Valley of Ashes’ which Eckleburg’s eyes frown upon all day