Introduction
Symbolism is important in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It allows the author to use hidden meaning, creating thematic depth. Fitzgerald uses different symbols to develop different characters, allowing the readers to explore American society during the Jazz Age. Each symbol is critical in building the novel’s exploration of love, unrestricted ambitions, and the relentless pursuit of material wealth. Fitzgerald uses symbolism in The Great Gatsby to develop the themes and plot.
The Valley of Ashes
The author employs different objects to represent the significant ideas in the novel. In this case, the Valley of Ashes signifies the failure of the American dream. The Valley of Ashes is an industrial strip of land covered in gray and ashes situated between the East and West Egg (Fitzgerald 26). It contrasts the extravagant and luxurious lives of the wealthy characters in the East and West Egg with the struggles of individuals in it.
Fitzgerald describes the land as where “The ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight” (Fitzgerald 26). Despite believing in the American Dream, individuals living in the Valley of Ashes, such as George Wilson, cannot attain their dreams, which explains why Myrtle wants to escape it (Cain 453). Therefore, this valley symbolizes lost hope and the failure of the American Dream, emphasizing the illusion of economic and social mobility.
The Valley of Ashes also represents social decay and corruption during the Jazz Age. It embodies the moral degradation of American society in the 1920s (Ismael and Muntaha 42). This valley is characterized by poverty and hopelessness and is occupied by the working class, who live miserably. In this case, the ashes signify the adverse consequences of the unregulated pursuit of materialism and wealth, which destroys moral values (Shaik 2197).
Similarly, the Valley of Ashes epitomizes the negative impacts of rapid industrialization and uncontrolled capitalism. The continuous dumping of industrial waste and huge billboard advertisements (Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s billboard) imply the prioritization of commercial interests over human and environmental welfare. Thus, Fitzgerald uses the Valley of Ashes to signify moral decadence and unfettered capitalism that characterized American society in the Jazz Age.
Doctor Eckleburg’s Eyes
The Eyes of Doctor. T. J. Eckleburg in The Great Gatsby represents a supreme being who watches over the Valley of Ashes. These eyes can be perceived as God’s eyes which observe and judge the characters who have lost their morality, such as Tom Buchanann (Mohammadi and Ali 1196). Nick Carraway describes Eckleburg’s eyes as “blue and gigantic-their retinas one yard high (Fitzgerald 26).
In addition, when he accompanies Tom to George’s house to see Myrtle, he feels they are under “Doctor Eckleburg’s persistent stare” (Fitzgerald 27). This suggests the intensity of these eyes as if they can see through an individual’s thoughts. In this case, Nick felt judged by the eyes because he was aware of Tom’s and Myrtle’s affair and did nothing to stop it.
To some characters in the novel, such as George, Eckleburg’s eyes embody God’s eyes. After the death of Myrtle, George expresses his doubts about his wife’s affair with Michaelis when he says, “I told her she might fool me, but she couldn’t fool God” (Fitzgerald 170). Michaelis was shocked to realize that George was staring at Doctor Eckleburg’s eyes when making his statement. This suggests that George believed the eyes were aware of his wife’s infidelity and had judged her for her unfaithfulness.
Equally, Doctor Eckleburg’s eyes watched as Daisy and Gatsby hit Myrtle and left her body in the dust (Mohammadi and Ali 1197). The eyes are portrayed as disembodied and unblinking, which enables them to see everything below and judge the individuals who engage in evil deeds, therefore representing a Godly figure or a magistrate.
Mantelpiece Clock
Fitzgerald uses Nick’s shelf clock to signify the past and the present. When Nick invites Daisy over for tea at Gatsby’s request, the clock becomes a central point during their interaction. Overwhelmed by Daisy’s presence, Gatsby knocks the clock off the mantel, almost breaking it (Fitzgerald 93). In this case, the clock symbolizes Gatsby’s desire to relive his past with Daisy.
In addition, the clock also epitomizes Gatsby’s hope for the present since he perceives he is wealthy enough to get Daisy back. He believes he can fix his relationship with Daisy to be the same as before. Gatsby wishes Daisy would divorce her husband and move with him to Louisville, where they would be married (Mohammadi and Ali 1199). Gatsby’s obsession with the past and rekindling his relationship with Daisy is shown when he tells Nick that one can repeat their past (Fitzgerald 118). Hence, Gatsby’s meeting with Daisy is intended to allow him to recover his past, which becomes unsuccessful. This implies that his encounter with the clock foreshadows his failure to reunite with Daisy.
Gatsby’s Parties
Gatsby’s parties represent the glamorous and flashy lifestyles of the Roaring Twenties. The 1920s in American society were characterized by excessive extravagance and great parties (Alaabed 246). This is depicted through the character of Gatsby, whose mansion is deserted most of the time unless he holds a series of grand parties. The celebrations exemplify the excessive spending of individuals who had acquired “new money” in the Jazz Age as they tried to impress those in the upper class (Cain 459). This was a means to guarantee social mobility by making connections with people from other influential and wealthy families.
However, the parties were meaningless and vain, signifying the inside nature of the guests. For instance, most individuals who regularly attended Gatsby’s weekly gatherings did not know him but only enjoyed the feasts, representing the American Dream (Fitzgerald 48). Therefore, Gatsby’s parties embody the lavish life of individuals with newly acquired riches during the Jazz Age.
Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson
Women characters in The Great Gatsby symbolize a lack of morality and virtue. For example, Daisy has been used to denote various things, including the epitome of affluence and wealth. Fitzgerald (128) describes her as “The king’s daughter, the golden girl.” Nevertheless, while Daisy’s life may seem ideal, it is far from perfect.
On the other hand, Myrtle symbolizes a woman who is unhappy with her social status and desires to marry a wealthy man. Tom describes where she lives as a “Terrible place, and it does her good to get away” (Fitzgerald 29). Despite coming from different social classes, these characters represent the immorality that permeated the American lifestyle in the 1920s. Their desire to amass materialistic values, move up the social hierarchy, and pursue pleasure led to harmful and corrupt thoughts and nurtured parasitic behavior (Lu 39).
In the novel, Fitzgerald (10) introduces Daisy in a white dress, which may signify innocence and purity. However, she has been described as selfish, indecisive, insincere, indifferent, seductive, and materialistic (Zeven and Aletta 667). Daisy’s personality flaws are evident as she only values her social standing.
Daisy betrays her chastity and makes Gatsby believe that she will divorce Tom. However, she changes her mind after realizing that Gatsby acquired his wealth illegally. The narrator claims her voice is charming and smells of money (Fitzgerald 128). This vividly and incisively portrays Daisy’s materialistic nature and obsession with social image, which explains why this love was in vain despite Gatsby’s affection for her.
In the 1920s, people’s identity and social status were defined by material possessions and the things they could purchase (Jiajia 134). As Zhang and Ming-wen (970) indicate, two main factors caused this morbid and excessive focus on consumerism. These include commodity fetishism, a belief that objects have special meanings and nuance infatuation, and intense obsession with small or subtle details. Not only did Gatsby take the blame for Daisy for killing Myrtle in a car accident, but also, after he was murdered, she immediately relocated, leaving no address to distance herself from the case (Fitzgerald 175). Nevertheless, Gatsby is blind to Daisy’s personality flaws, and in the end, she does not even attend his funeral.
Myrtle was also in a loveless marriage and only engaged in extramarital affairs with Tom to climb the social class. Her apartment in New York represents materialistic desires and social ambitions.
The author describes the place as overcrowded with oversized furniture and other prized items (Fitzgerald 175). Myrtle’s materialistic nature drives her to abandon the traditional principles of marriage and have a secret affair with a rich man. Fitzgerald’s female characters are only motivated by their social standing and luxury, which is shown to be a source of betrayal and moral decay (Zeven and Aletta 662).
Additionally, Myrtle is shown to be self-centered, frivolous, and vulgar (Lu 38). Apart from her infidelity and using George to escape her unhappy life in the Valley of Ashes, she belittles and mocks him in front of others (Fitzgerald 29). Myrtle sees him as weak and insignificant compared to the wealthy and powerful men she desires. Despite Myrtle and George being lower class, she asserts, “But he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe” (Fitzgerald 38). Thus, Myrtle represents the breakdown of moral principles and the consequences of unchecked ambitions.
These women characters are also used to portray a patriarchal society dominated by males. Lu (37) indicates that during the 1920s, girls were raised knowing that only men could give them a better life. Women were emotionally and physically imprisoned to seek their freedom as they conformed to this belief.
The novel demonstrates how male characters wield power in their quests for dominance. For example, Daisy represents a perfect homemaker, idealized at the time. Her life revolves around Tom’s wealth and social status to the extent that she ignores his infidelity. Daisy lacks agency, which makes her vulnerable to people, particularly Tom and, later, Gatsby.
Conversely, Myrtle’s extramarital affair with Tom highlights the power dynamics in relationships. Society in the Jazz Age was portrayed as a place where men could have extramarital affairs without consequences, while women faced significant societal judgment. Additionally, men are physically violent as Tom hits his mistress Myrtle and breaks her nose for mentioning Daisy (Chen and Shuangchao 565). Thus, these characters’ tragic endings are due to unrestricted social ambitions and the effects of a patriarchal society.
The Green Light
Different colors are potent symbols used throughout the novel to represent various themes. For example, the green light signifies optimism, hope, and ambition regarding Gatsby’s pursuit to reunite with Daisy (Ismael and Muntaha 43). The narrator asserts, “Involuntarily, I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light” (Fitzgerald 24). From the quote, the readers gather that this light originated at the end of Daisy’s dock. Therefore, it may symbolize Daisy in Gatsby’s endeavor to reunite with her again after many years.
The green light is a beacon of hope, and everything that motivates and haunts him fuels his relentless pursuit. Thus, the space between Gatsby and the green light at the end of the dock may denote the emotional and physical distance between him and Daisy, including the gap between the past and present and hope for the future. Similarly, this light might symbolize an abstract concept, an illusion, or something unreachable and unattainable in Gatsby’s dream (Ismael and Muntaha 43). Thus, no matter how far he stretches his arms towards the dock, he will never physically reach the green light.
Apart from the green light signifying the hope of Gatsby reuniting with Daisy, it represents the powerful allure of money. Zhang and Ming-wen (969) describe how money can help people secure love and other life satisfaction. Despite realizing that Daisy might not love Tom, Gatsby believes he can attract her attention by throwing lavish parties. Therefore, he uses his money to gain recognition and get close to her.
Since society was highly segregated, people were treated like commodities and grouped into social classes depending on how much they could afford (Jiajia 134). Thus, the display of wealth and social status presented an opportunity for Gatsby to compete with Daisy’s husband and win her affection. Even at the novel’s beginning, money is represented as a gold hat (Fitzgerald 2). This gives the readers a clear idea about the book. Gatsby organized extravagant parties and invited hordes of guests who drank and enjoyed themselves every night. All these endeavors represent the power of money that Gatsby hoped would help him win Daisy’s love.
Conclusion
Fitzgerald uses symbols in the form of objects and characters to develop the major themes and the plot of The Great Gatsby. The symbols are integral in enlightening the readers about American society and culture in the 1920s. In this case, the Valley of Ashes symbolizes moral decadence, unfettered capitalism, and the failure of the American Dream during this Jazz Age. While many individuals worked hard to improve their social status, some people’s dreams remained unattainable, indicating unsuccessful social mobility. Additionally, Gatsby’s parties signify the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy during the Roaring Twenties.
The author also utilizes Eckleburg’s eyes to represent a supreme being who watched and judged the moral degradation of Americans during the 1920s. Since society was characterized by greed, materialism, and corruption, many individuals abandoned their ethical and social values to pursue wealth. Other symbols, such as the mantel clock, denote Gatsby’s attempt to relive his past with Daisy and the hope for their future together. Equally, the female characters in Fitzgerald’s novel signify the nature of a patriarchal society. Therefore, the contextual symbols in The Great Gatsby inspire readers to explore the underlying meanings.
Works Cited
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