Fabricating Reality Often a common object can hold a dull, plain meaning, but more often than not, a common object can hold a deeper meaning that reaches into the soul and reflects the dealings of society. Fitzgerald is a man of symbolism in his novel, The Great Gatsby, using many common symbols to portray the deeper roots of man’s heart and show the defects of society. These symbols reoccur multiple times throughout his novel, adding or intensifying the meaning it holds each time. Through this symbolism, man’s heart is left bare and raw to show the blindness that many of the characters prove to have when it comes to society and morals. The human heart is a creation built to give the soul hope and a vision of the future.
…show more content…
Gatsby puts his hope into something he gives life and meaning to, a simple green light that shines through the night and floods through his senses. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, describes the first sighting of Gatsby and his commitment to the green light when he remarks, “. . . he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way. . . I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away. . .” (Fitzgerald 20-21). This simple green light that Gatsby is pursuing is the light that illuminates the night at the end of Daisy and Tom Buchanan’s dock across the water. Gatsby embodies his hope and dreams of a future with Daisy in this light that he constantly longs for but he cannot reach or obtain, “. . . he can’t directly address the object of his affection; the light represents what could have been and what could be” (J. Kersh.) The light is constantly burning and shining through the chaos, just like Gatsby’s heart and the unending love it holds for Daisy. Gatsby’s love remained even after he lost Daisy for the first time and it burns brighter than ever now that he has her near …show more content…
This is the part of town that has been emptied of all hope, just “ash-gray men” who scurry about the “line of gray cars” and gray dust that covers its territory (Fitzgerald 23.) The Valley of Ashes is a gray land that continues to be the setting at crucial moments in the novel, being “the dumping ground of emptied romantic expression” (Richard Lehan 93.) All aspects of romance and morals vanish into the gray dust that makes up the gray land and all that is left is the raw corruption of
Gatsby puts his hope into something he gives life and meaning to, a simple green light that shines through the night and floods through his senses. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, describes the first sighting of Gatsby and his commitment to the green light when he remarks, “. . . he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way. . . I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away. . .” (Fitzgerald 20-21). This simple green light that Gatsby is pursuing is the light that illuminates the night at the end of Daisy and Tom Buchanan’s dock across the water. Gatsby embodies his hope and dreams of a future with Daisy in this light that he constantly longs for but he cannot reach or obtain, “. . . he can’t directly address the object of his affection; the light represents what could have been and what could be” (J. Kersh.) The light is constantly burning and shining through the chaos, just like Gatsby’s heart and the unending love it holds for Daisy. Gatsby’s love remained even after he lost Daisy for the first time and it burns brighter than ever now that he has her near …show more content…
This is the part of town that has been emptied of all hope, just “ash-gray men” who scurry about the “line of gray cars” and gray dust that covers its territory (Fitzgerald 23.) The Valley of Ashes is a gray land that continues to be the setting at crucial moments in the novel, being “the dumping ground of emptied romantic expression” (Richard Lehan 93.) All aspects of romance and morals vanish into the gray dust that makes up the gray land and all that is left is the raw corruption of