Jacqueline Le McLoskey IB English HL 1 14 November 2017 Symbolism in the Great Gatsby: In-class Essay What is a symbol? A symbol is an object or figure that represents a broader concept, like how the color red symbolizes anger or love. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes about Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, from the limited perspective of Nick Carraway. As Fitzgerald unveils Gatsby’s secret past and story, he uses various examples of this illicit metaphor. From the green light to the weather, to the characters themselves, there is no doubt that symbolism is used to illustrate a more complex idea. To start off, a clear example of symbolism would be the green light. It appears at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock, …show more content…
Daisy, for instance, showcases the lack of morality in people. Initially, she promises Gatsby that she would wait for his release from the military. However, Daisy does not hesitate to go after Tom while Gatsby is away. When Gatsby and Daisy reunite, she strings him along and leads him to believe that she would choose Gatsby over Tom, yet she settles for Tom’s wealth instead. It is evident that she values gold above all else, which is a color commonly associated with greed and corruption. Ironically, Fitzgerald describes her as wearing white, the color of purity and innocence. Like an actual daisy of a golden center and white petals, Daisy has a morally corrupt, golden center with a “pure” and white facade. In conclusion, symbolism is scattered all along the novel. Fitzgerald uses many color symbols, such as white representing purity and the green light representing Gatsby’s dreams. Weather is also used to emphasize the mood and atmosphere of the scenes or events, like how heat means things are heating up. Fitzgerald also makes good use of the characters to display symbolism, having Daisy symbolize human greed and moral corruption. Some honorable mentions would be the Valley of Ashes, Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes, and the geography of the West and East