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What Does The Mansion Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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What Does The Mansion Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
Use of Symbolism to Reveal a Character's Personality in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a love story about one man's desire to climb the social ladder and to marry the girl of his dreams. In this novel, Fitzgerald uses imagery and many symbols to reveal significant aspects of the central character, Jay Gatsby's, personality. The green light reveals hope in Gatsby's future. His mansion is also a symbol, representing his wealth but also how he still wishes to be classed higher in society. The Eggs also represent the barriers between the upper and lower classes of Long Island.

First of all, the colour green that is displayed through the light that Gatsby notices "[Daisy] always [has on] that burns all night at the end of [her] dock" (91) represents Jay Gatsby's jealousy towards Tom Buchanan as well as his hopes for his future, including the American Dream.
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Although Gatsby lives in West Egg and lives next to Nick Carraway's "small eyesore" (11) of a home, Nick describes Gatsby's house as "a colossal affair by any standard" (11) and "a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy" (11). His mansion represents his wealth and even though Gatsby is extremely rich with the money he has earned, he will never obtain his goal to be ranked high enough in society to be a part of the East Egg community with Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby's mansion also symbolises his extravagance which is used to gain attention from people of Long Island to prove that he is just as worthy as they are. He throws big parties featuring "buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d'oeuvres [and] spiced baked hams" (41) and an orchestra with "oboes, trombones and saxophones, and viols and cornets and piccolos" (42). All this to prove he was like them. Gatsby's mansion, just like the green light, also represents the American Dream. A life he wish he

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