Symbolism adds meaning and requires readers to think more deeply about the story along with the characters and objects in the story. Symbolism can take an object that is just any other ordinary thing and turn it into the author’s entire purpose for writing the story. The Great Gatsby is a magnificent example of this literary technique, because of how well this story utilizes symbolism. If Fitzgerald had not included symbolism in his work, the story would seem to have no meaning at all, because the symbols help to draw lines and connect dots that a simple glance would not take in. However, after studying the details of the symbols Fitzgerald uses, the reader becomes aware that the symbols are apparent and important. Symbols in The Great Gatsby
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Owl Eyes symbolizes the true American Dream by doing things that he knows are morally right rather than doing things to try and gain materialistic items. During one of Gatsby’s parties, when Owl Eyes was first introduced in the novel, he was found in the library admiring Gatsby’s collection of books. He treasured knowledge more than money. A true American Dream. “Owl Eyes is a symbol of the persistence of the uncorrupted American Dream, the original and spiritual dream, not the false and material one Gatsby pursues with such spiritual devotion… Owl Eyes is nonetheless a keeper of the true American Dream” (Who …show more content…
Turning a billboard into God, a green light into hope, and an almost garbage dump into a nightmare are just a few ways Fitzgerald used symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Making the reader think more deeply about the simple aspects of his novel is one of the many ways Fitzgerald makes his novels more intriguing. However, this style of writing also makes the piece of literature more difficult to comprehend. Without symbolism, The Great Gatsby would be a simple story of simple people doing simple things, but with the way Fitzgerald utilizes the symbols in his book the story becomes a story of a man in an odd place with a desire for something
Owl Eyes symbolizes the true American Dream by doing things that he knows are morally right rather than doing things to try and gain materialistic items. During one of Gatsby’s parties, when Owl Eyes was first introduced in the novel, he was found in the library admiring Gatsby’s collection of books. He treasured knowledge more than money. A true American Dream. “Owl Eyes is a symbol of the persistence of the uncorrupted American Dream, the original and spiritual dream, not the false and material one Gatsby pursues with such spiritual devotion… Owl Eyes is nonetheless a keeper of the true American Dream” (Who …show more content…
Turning a billboard into God, a green light into hope, and an almost garbage dump into a nightmare are just a few ways Fitzgerald used symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Making the reader think more deeply about the simple aspects of his novel is one of the many ways Fitzgerald makes his novels more intriguing. However, this style of writing also makes the piece of literature more difficult to comprehend. Without symbolism, The Great Gatsby would be a simple story of simple people doing simple things, but with the way Fitzgerald utilizes the symbols in his book the story becomes a story of a man in an odd place with a desire for something