Symbols In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby is a novel that explains the life of Jay Gatsby and his attempt to reconnect with his lover Daisy Buchanan. This book takes place during the roaring twenties also known as the “ Jazz Age”. Gatsbys past including, being in WW1 has separated the two lovers from the relationship they had in the past. Thus, with all of that aside, The Great Gatsby involves much more than just these two lovers. The author includes symbols such as the green light on the bay and the recurring theme, “ America as a whole, in particular is losing hope of the American dream in an era of the unknown prosperity.” These literary devices are one of the many things that make this book great. The often controversy over quick gains and hard work is one of the many themes that are brought out by the book. The common rivalry between the “old Money” and the “new money” is drawn out simply by the novel's symbolic geography. East Egg represents the established old money from old family haritage, West Egg the self-made rich.As Fitzgerald saw it, the American dream was originally about starting over from scratch and finding happines in the future. In the 1920s as said in the novel, the easy way out was ruining this dream …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald’s uses characters to create symbols and themes to make his book one of the greats. With themes that include deep thoughts and years of examination and symbols that never end, this book is a constant flow of literary devices. While explaining the life of Jay Gatsby and his chase for Daisy the author includes symbols and themes to enhance his story. Fitzgerald use of symbolism throughout the novel magnifies the corruption and moral bankruptcy of the era as well as the cold viewpoints between the social classes. Maybe not so surprising but, gatsby's quest ends in a tragic failure. Thus, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a novel that used many literary devices such as symbolism and themes to tell a