Edmund Sykes
Mrs. Staum
American Literature/Hour 5
16 November 2015
Foreshadowing in Symbolism
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most famous stories in American Literature, as it criticizes the upper class through a dramatic tale of love, conflict, and corruption. In his story, Fitzgerald uses many forms of symbolism, in which each symbol holds a vital purpose to his story, especially when it comes to hinting towards later events in the story. In terms of the American dream, Fitzgerald uses many symbols in his writing to foreshadow later events in The Great Gatsby.
In the beginning of the novel, the narrator, Nick, finds Gatsby standing at the end of his dock reaching for a green light across the body of water separating …show more content…
Gatsby knows that he doesn’t have the “right,” the class and economic standing, to get together with Daisy. In this time period, class was everything. Even “new wealth” was looked down upon by the old-money American aristocracy. Still, he circumvents this barrier and “takes” Daisy, or makes love to her. In the previous chapter, it seemed that the heat was a symbol for tension. The cool October setting here suggests serenity and peace between the two, and in the atmosphere. Realizing that the changing of the seasons is a symbol, one can also realize the foreshadowing of the coinciding worsening weather and character relations/tensions. Right before the climax of the novel, you can also note the emphasis of the automobiles owned by Gatsby and his rival Tom. These symbols of the recklessly wealthy are filled with the newest gadgets, especially Gatsby’s car, which Tom refers to as a “Circus Wagon” (121). The two rivals drive at ridiculous speeds in a reckless manner. The way that the rich and audacious drove these cars foreshadows a tragic event, of which being the climax of the story: the death of
Mrs. Staum
American Literature/Hour 5
16 November 2015
Foreshadowing in Symbolism
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most famous stories in American Literature, as it criticizes the upper class through a dramatic tale of love, conflict, and corruption. In his story, Fitzgerald uses many forms of symbolism, in which each symbol holds a vital purpose to his story, especially when it comes to hinting towards later events in the story. In terms of the American dream, Fitzgerald uses many symbols in his writing to foreshadow later events in The Great Gatsby.
In the beginning of the novel, the narrator, Nick, finds Gatsby standing at the end of his dock reaching for a green light across the body of water separating …show more content…
Gatsby knows that he doesn’t have the “right,” the class and economic standing, to get together with Daisy. In this time period, class was everything. Even “new wealth” was looked down upon by the old-money American aristocracy. Still, he circumvents this barrier and “takes” Daisy, or makes love to her. In the previous chapter, it seemed that the heat was a symbol for tension. The cool October setting here suggests serenity and peace between the two, and in the atmosphere. Realizing that the changing of the seasons is a symbol, one can also realize the foreshadowing of the coinciding worsening weather and character relations/tensions. Right before the climax of the novel, you can also note the emphasis of the automobiles owned by Gatsby and his rival Tom. These symbols of the recklessly wealthy are filled with the newest gadgets, especially Gatsby’s car, which Tom refers to as a “Circus Wagon” (121). The two rivals drive at ridiculous speeds in a reckless manner. The way that the rich and audacious drove these cars foreshadows a tragic event, of which being the climax of the story: the death of