In "The Great Gatsby" the American dream is shown through the way Fitzgerald places symbolism within simple objects or names throughout the book. The American dream is shown through the main characters of the book as they "run in circles" to achieve their "American Dream" even if it is never really completed in the end. The American Dream in this book shows many different dreams between each different character although most of them never achieve when they wish they could in the end. In the Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses symbolism and literary devices to represent the American Dream through using major symbols such as the green light, the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, and the Valley of Ashes. The green light is a significant symbol throughout the book because at the beginning it represents Gatsby's journey and all that he wants to achieve. The green light is something that is the light at the end of his pathway as he walks towards it; the combination of everything …show more content…
Eckleburg symbolize a god-like figure who sees everything and everyones' intentions, good or bad. The godlike figure sees everyone's doing and undoing, and the eyes are represented in the book as a judging figure of an overall wasteland of morals; The Valley of Ashes. For example, every time they drive through the valley of ashes they pass the billboard with T.J. Eckleburg showing how each time something happened between the characters they passed the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. "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 nonexistent nose...But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground." The explanation of T.J. Eckleburgs eyes is as if God sees through them, he sees the wasteland of everyone's lives building towards an unachievable American dream with disappointment and