In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbolism adds deepness to the narrative, without presenting confusion. Fitzgerald ’ s symbols are big, concrete and obvious. Examples of this symbolism are the vale of ashes, T. J. Eckleburg ’ s immense bluish eyes, and the green visible radiation on the Buchanan dock which Jay Gatsby idolizes. The vale of ashes is “ a antic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens ; where ashes take the signifiers of houses and chimneys and lifting fume and, eventually, with a transcendent attempt, of work forces who move indistinctly and already crumpling through the powdery air … ” ( 23 )
The vale represents the moral decomposition of the howling mid-twentiess by demoing the waste barren which contains the by-products of the chase of wealth and the American dream. “ Occasionally a line of grey autos crawls along an unseeable path, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and instantly the ash-grey work forces swarm up with dull spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their vague operations from your sight. ” ( 23 )
This shows how one can acquire caught up all of a sudden in a cloud of confusion. They are merely walking along, minding their ain concern, making their daily activities, and all of a sudden acquire caught up in an impenetrable muss. This happened to Nick. He was merely minding his ain concern, and so he met Gatsby, who planned things for him without his blessing or advice, and who fundamentally used him to his advantage. Nick had no manner out of this muss, but he did non truly desire 1. He was the lone individual who cared plenty to give Gatsby a proper entombment. Another symbol in this novel is T. J. Eckleburg ’ s immense blue eyes. “
The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are bluish and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. they look out of no face, but, alternatively, from a brace of tremendous yellow eyeglassess which pass over a non- existent nose. ” ( 23 ) The eyes of T . J. Eckleburg are said to stand for the eyes of God at one point. His eyes make Wilson, the hubby of Tom ’ s kept woman, kill himself because he thinks that God is really looking at him in shame for slaying Gatsby. When in the vale of ashes, the eyes of the physician are besides like the eyes of God, though it is non stated. T. J. stands on a hill looking over the happenings in the vale. Like God, he is watching over the waste created by the spiritless society, and so subsequently on his eyes represent God to a adult male who was wasted by society ; a occupant of the spiritless barren of society. Yet another symbol in The Great Gatsby is the green visible radiation on the terminal of the Buchanan dock.
This light represents hope and dreams to Gatsby. It represents his love for Daisy and his demand for a comrade, or in Nick ’ s words, “ He stretched out his weaponries toward the dark H2O in a funny manner … .Involuntarily, I glanced seaward- and distinguished nil except a individual green visible radiation … that might hold been the terminal of a dock. ”
If Gatsby had lived in the 1890ss, he would hold a telescope looking straight into Daisy ’ s sleeping room, he would be considered a stalker, and Daisy would convey up sexual harrassment suits on him. But, in this clip, Daisy did non cognize, and what Daisy did non cognize could non ache her. “ Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy [ the green visible radiation ] had seemed really near to her, about touching her. It had seemed every bit near as a star to the Moon.
Now it was once more a green visible radiation on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. ” When, at last, Gatsby believes that Daisy is his, he no longer idolizes her, and the green visible radiation has no more symbolic significance to him. Is like the expression, “ You ever want what you can ’ t have. ” The symbolism in The Great Gatsby is a large portion of what makes the novel so great. It is merely stated, so it does non confound the reader as symbolism tends to make, but it simply adds deepness to the narrative.
