Symbolism in the Great Gatsby
The acquisition of wealth is alluring from the outside looking in, but those who possess it are not guaranteed happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby describes the shallowness and impurity that often accompany excessive materialism and the unfulfilling relationships that develop among people obsessed with the capitalist game. His depiction of the seemingly glamorous lives of the upper classes on Long Island communicates themes pertaining to the myth of the American Dream and its power to lead people away from authenticity and toward false promises of success. Fitzgerald employs symbolism throughout the plot by burying a deeper meaning within his description of two fictional Long Island districts, a desolate …show more content…
Before his service in World War I, Gatsby falls in love with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, who effortlessly holds the aristocratic status that he wants so badly to secure for himself. After returning from the war to find her engaged to the blue-blooded Tom Buchanan, Gatsby plunges into a jealous state of grief that keeps him fixated on amassing more and more wealth with the rather distant hope of using it to win Daisy back. The green light that shines mysteriously at the end of a dock across from Gatsby’s mansion symbolizes his idealistic longing for a return to his blissful days in Louisville with Daisy. Fitzgerald describes this glowing beacon of hope as “the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter––tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (180). The green light, like Gatsby’s vision for his future, seems tantalizingly close, but is nevertheless completely out of reach. For years, Gatsby remains convinced that if he just lifts his status of success a bit higher and fills his mansion with still more captivating luxuries, he can impress Daisy enough to pry her from Tom’s stifling grasp. During his long-anticipated teatime meeting with Daisy, he feels the connection that they once shared …show more content…
The messages about materialism and the American Dream expressed in these events not only apply to the America of the 1920s, but also to today’s highly materialistic
The acquisition of wealth is alluring from the outside looking in, but those who possess it are not guaranteed happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby describes the shallowness and impurity that often accompany excessive materialism and the unfulfilling relationships that develop among people obsessed with the capitalist game. His depiction of the seemingly glamorous lives of the upper classes on Long Island communicates themes pertaining to the myth of the American Dream and its power to lead people away from authenticity and toward false promises of success. Fitzgerald employs symbolism throughout the plot by burying a deeper meaning within his description of two fictional Long Island districts, a desolate …show more content…
Before his service in World War I, Gatsby falls in love with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, who effortlessly holds the aristocratic status that he wants so badly to secure for himself. After returning from the war to find her engaged to the blue-blooded Tom Buchanan, Gatsby plunges into a jealous state of grief that keeps him fixated on amassing more and more wealth with the rather distant hope of using it to win Daisy back. The green light that shines mysteriously at the end of a dock across from Gatsby’s mansion symbolizes his idealistic longing for a return to his blissful days in Louisville with Daisy. Fitzgerald describes this glowing beacon of hope as “the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter––tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (180). The green light, like Gatsby’s vision for his future, seems tantalizingly close, but is nevertheless completely out of reach. For years, Gatsby remains convinced that if he just lifts his status of success a bit higher and fills his mansion with still more captivating luxuries, he can impress Daisy enough to pry her from Tom’s stifling grasp. During his long-anticipated teatime meeting with Daisy, he feels the connection that they once shared …show more content…
The messages about materialism and the American Dream expressed in these events not only apply to the America of the 1920s, but also to today’s highly materialistic