Analyzing Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

Analyzing Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about corruption and life in the raring 1920’s. In Fitzgerald’s master piece of a story, he presents a life learning and exciting story that any person of any age can enjoy, but if the reader really puts the effort into “reading between the lines” they will grasp the symbolic meanings that he uses throughout the whole story. Fitzgerald uses these symbols to provide images/representations about what it was truly like during those times, and also to help grasp your attention in this novel. According to the Oxford Dictionaries, symbolism is “an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind,” and Fitzgerald uses all types of symbol’s in the novel to enliven the reader into the lives and personalities of the characters. He uses symbolism to show minor details that cannot be shown by words alone and symbolism helps the reader to better understanding of the theme and mood that the author is bringing forth. Throughout this novel, Fitzgerald shows us all types of symbolism such as the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, the color green, and the Valley of Ashes. The usage of symbolism that Fitzgerald provides with us shows the true intentions of the characters and the themes being portrayed thought the novel. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg overlook the valley of ashes and symbolize God overlooking everyone. Fitzgerald uses the eyes of God as a reminder to people that God is still watching us. “They look out of no face, but, instead from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose…but his eyes dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground” (23,24). In The Great Gatsby, a majority of the characters have meanings to the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, but he never actually makes a big enough connection for us to see that. The one