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What Does Tom's Mansion Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

1435 Words6 Pages

Symbolism is an important aspect of the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. There are quite a few examples of double meaning within this book. One of the most significant qualities of this piece is the symbolism and the clever, yet subtle, way it is presented throughout the book. Some of the symbols found on the surface are love, dreams, and hope, but there are also meanings which can only be discovered by digging deep. One specific symbol that is focused on throughout the book is Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s mansion. Tom and Daisy were wealthy people who lived in Long Island, and have a mysterious connection with Gatsby. Fitzgerald, uses their home to tell more about who they are. In The Great Gatsby, the house that belongs to the …show more content…

Their mansion’s location plays a key role in this. “Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water” (Fitzgerald 5) Nick, the narrator, explains where their home was. Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s home was located in an area commonly called East Egg. The types of people who found themselves living in East Egg were snobby, arrogant and traditional. That description perfectly envelops the Buchanan’s personalities. Since these characters lived in this area, it shows their money came from somewhere different from the common person. They had “Old Money” and did not have to work for it. It was simply dropped into their arms; unlike the origin of Gatsby’s wealth. Throughout the book, Tom and Daisy are repeatedly recognized for their substantial wealth. Because of this, they were instantly viewed as classy and respected residents of Long Island. They automatically had a status to uphold and keep up. Tom and Daisy are like the people who own a platinum élite membership compared to the regular membership. Because they hold that membership (in their case the wealth they inherited) they were viewed differently. The house they lived in, definitely shows

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Nick is Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, and cautiously assists their relationship. Nick and Gatsby live in the West Egg area of Long Island, while Daisy lives across the way in East Egg. Fitzgerald uses these neighborhoods to symbolize the differences between the newly and old rich. In the novel, Nick and Gatsby are both newly parevenus individuals who do not come from a rich family. Carraway is earning his way to wealth in the banking industry, while Gatsby received his wealth predominantly from bootlegging.

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Through his use of juxtaposition, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to contrast the lifestyles of two very distinct couples. The first couple that the reader encounters is Tom and Daisy Buchanan. This couple live in East Egg, which is filled with fashionable houses, and wealthy people. Living in a large

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1070 Words | 5 Pages

Daisy has proven herself to be materialistic and to fulfill her need for wealth she marries Tom to remain a member of old money upper class, not for

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The description of the home is bleak with “dusty curtains” and “gray land” (Fitzgerald 23). Wilson’s humble abode highlights his low social status and his struggle to make ends meet. His home reveals his lack of ambition and his inability to escape the dullness of his working-class life. Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s home, on the other hand, symbolizes that they don’t care about anything major in life and lack of substance.

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1035 Words | 5 Pages

Money essentially made Daisy and Tom very careless. Daisy killed Tom's mistress and because her husband has money it is easy for them to pack up their things and never return. They say and do things without really thinking about them and only because they have money does it not ever get them into trouble. Even Nick Carraway who is the least rich among them all moved out East because he knew many people who were in the stock business that became wealthy. The reason for him moving was to have the chance to become wealthy.

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1311 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbolism is very important all throughout it. Not only does he use objects to show symbolism, but he also uses color symbolism to prove the importance of the theme and development of the characteristics in the Great Gatsby. Color symbolism brings out the visual of the story, so readers can picture it in their mind as they are reading. Fitzgerald took the colors to an advanced level by using key colors to help further deepen the meaning of the book and its characters. Although there are many colors in the novel, Fitzgerald uses the colors green, white, and yellow to symbolize Gatsby’s emotions and riches.

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854 Words | 4 Pages

It was ironic that even Nick, a person who was “inclined to reserve all judgment” (Fitzgerald 1), was able to see how money had made Tom and Daisy careless and lazy. Nick also notices that Daisy and Tom had disappeared right after Gatsby’s death. Daisy and Tom were wealthy enough to move out of Long Island, while they made everyone else solve the problem that they had left behind. It is easy for rich people to become weak and only focus on

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2144 Words | 9 Pages

They solely focus their life on gaining wealth and living beyond standard adults. They own countless of cars that are worth people’s life’s incomes. Gatsby seems to have everything in the world but doesn’t seem to appreciate it, nor does Tom who cheats on his wife. He only wants one thing and that’s Daisy and even with his exaggerated wealth he still cannot have her as he wishes. The past disturbs Gatsby.

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1263 Words | 6 Pages

The two both come from affluent families, and it can be arguably said that Daisy’s reason for marrying Tom was primarily due to his status. With their money, the two live a luxurious life on East Egg. They are both obsessed with the title of owing money, and knowing where it originated from. Gatsby when referring to Daisy even includes that, “Her voice is full of money,” By stating this, Gatsby means that Daisy renders wealth.

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1352 Words | 6 Pages

The American Dream suggests that every American citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. One of the major ways that Fitzgerald portrays this is by alluding to outside events or works of literature specifically from that time period. Another major relationship that develops in The Great Gatsby is between Tom and Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald alludes to things such as the World’s Fair and “The Love Nest” to display the eventual dismantling of Tom and Daisy’s relationship. Both of these separate plots consolidate under the idea of Gatsby trying to become the epitome of the American Dream, as seen through his strive for a “perfect life.”

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747 Words | 3 Pages

In The Great Gatsby the characters in the novel come from various social classes. Nick, Daisy, and Tom are from Wealthy families who have been wealthy for a long time. These characters are referred to as “Old rich” because of their families’ long histories of wealth. Jay Gatsby, unlike Daisy and Tom, did not belong to a wealthy family, and he earns his wealth through his own hard work and success. Although Tom and Gatsby are both wealthy, Tom and the other “Old rich” people look down at Gatsby.

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809 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout many brilliant works of literature, a common item is placed amongst them: symbols. Symbols are often a key to further understanding a point the author is trying to convey to their readers. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, he utilizes the literary tool of symbols to illustrate a larger picture for his themes and characters within the novel. For example, the color green plays a prominent role in The Great Gatsby throughout the duration of the novel. However, the color has can have various interpretations.

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444 Words | 2 Pages

It is known that Daisy resides in the East Egg, full of people of old wealth and superficial standards. Gatsby lives in the West Egg, where residents of new money live and he gathers income through illegal means. Daisy’s East Egg personality shines through when asked by Gatsby if she loves Tom and responds with, “I never loved him” (133). This quote proves she is self-centered because in the end she chooses Tom and the comfortable, secure life he gives her. Whereas Gatsby lives a life of illegal activity that ruins her status.

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814 Words | 4 Pages

Tom, Daisy and the Jordan belong to the “New Money”, in which they are inherited with the wealth and authorities. Money and power is the main motivation for many characters in the story, as they believe that wealth and power can bring eternal happiness. “I am still afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggests, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.” (Fitzgerald 2) Through this quote, the author expresses the unequal social class and authority that individuals struggle with at a young age. The people in east egg are characterized as the “ Old money”, in which they spend their time amusing themselves.

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747 Words | 3 Pages

In the story by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby symbolism is shown all throughout the story with Gatsby as he was in the war shows how he goes insane at times with other people. Another symbol used in the book is how the author uses “east and west eggs” to show two different villages where gatsby and daisy live. The most important symbol of the story was the green light at the end of daisy’s dock not only can symbolize the money that gatsby gained for Daisy but also shows Gatsby’s dream to change what happened, it gives Gatsby something to hope for. All in all Symbolism is shown all throughout the story with all the main characters but Gatsby stood out the most in the story; even being insane.

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