American Literature

 Symbolism is an important literary device which conveys layers of meaning when used in the right sense. It is an element of imagery which not only represents a concrete object but also stands for an abstract idea as well. F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece which portrays the social decadence of the roaring Twenties where values had little significance. Outwardly, the novel seems to be a story about success, money, fame and love. But it also gives a deep insight into the flaws of real life and thereby earned a long lasting place in American literature. Prigozy states that It is an era of parties and good times, both for the wealthy like Gatsby and the Buchanans, and for those less affluent who wanted to take part in the fun . And a general relaxation of inhibitions. (xx) Symbolism plays a major role in The Great Gatsby since it is a powerful device which facilitates the readers to gain an insight into the characters true personality as well as the hidden values and complexity. This paper explores the use of symbolism of colors, places and things which strengthens the story as well as reinforces the point of view of Scott Fitzgerald.

The first symbol appears at the end of the first chapter of The Great Gatsby which is the mysterious green light. The green light at the end of the Buchanans dock represents all that he yearns for with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby reaches out for the light as though he intends to worship it. Green is the color of hope, promise and renewal and Gatsbys dream of future with Daisy is represented through this green light. On a general sense, the green light represents the hopes of mankind. Fitzgerald compares the green light to the green breast of the new world. (115) This, in turn, leads to the comparison of Gatsbys dream of uniting with Daisy with the explorers discovery of the New World. Similar to Americas obsession with wealth and money, Gatsbys dream is flawed by his desire for material possessions.

When the green light symbolizes hope and promise, Fitzgerald introduces the next symbol Valley of Ashes, a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges, hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. (172) The Valley of Ashes is associated with darkness and lifelessness and hence represents death and destruction. To augment the gloom and pain associated with the Valley of Ashes, Myrtle Wilson dies in the Valley. The Valley of Ashes is related to color symbolism as well since the grey color is a symbol of corruption corruption of land, morality and spirituality. The life in the alley represents a low social profile and hence when the characters in the novel pass through the Valley on their way to New York, they are left with no choice other than to bring them down to this lower status.

The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg symbolize that advertising and materialism have gone mad. Daisy remarks that Gatsby reminds her of an advertisement which in turn represents the fact that Daisy does not like Gatsby for his true self but for the superficial illusion he represents. The material obsession of the American society is reflected through advertising. Fitzgerald uses references to advertising throughout the text and hence the novel itself is a big advertisement where youth, wealth and beauty never develop as the advertisements neither do. The abandoned billboard which advertises Dr. Eckleburgs long-gone optometry business overlooks the Valley of Ashes and hence provides multiple levels of symbolism. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic - their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent noseBut his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. (48) Dr. Eckleburgs eyes are mentioned whenever some important events occur near the billboard as they symbolize the eyes of God which sees everything. Mr. Wilson starring at the billboard once remarks, God sees everything  Further he claims, God knows what youve been doing, everything youve been doing. You may fool me but you cant fool God (160) Hence for Wilson, it is much more than an advertisement. The faded paint on the billboard symbolizes the decaying relationship between God and humanity. Further, the eyes also symbolize Nick because he is the only character in the novel who is aware of the course of action in the novel.

The use of East and West in the novel is highly symbolic as they just do not represent directions on the map. While East symbolizes wealth and corruption, West denotes morality as this is represented by the movement of characters from West to East or vice-versa. In the East, owning money is equated with power and the individuals do not take the responsibility for their actions.  West is known for its values and work ethic. Nick refers to the West as the warm center of the world. (265) West is a place where families lived as the houses are called by the name of the family. Most characters  Nick, Tom, Daisy, Gatsby and Jordan leave for East being drawn by its wealth and power associated with it. But later Nick states that we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly inadaptable to Eastern life. (276) In the end, only Nick escapes and survives as he leaves the corrupt East.

Symbolism of colors is profusely used in the novel. The color green is the symbol of hope which is represented by the green light. On the other hand, grey color of the Valley of Ashes symbolizes the lack of spirit and dreariness. White denotes lack of purity and goodness. Initially both Gatsby and Daisy are dressed in white. Once again when Gatsby wishes to meet Dais after five years, he appears in white to show that he is pure and good. The yellow color is the symbol of wealth and this is represented in Gatsbys car, which denotes dishonesty and decay. The red color corresponds to death and bold as observed in the death of Myrtle. The blue color is also a symbol of death and the lawn around the pool where Gatsby gets killed is in blue color. Thus colors play a major role as symbols in this particular fiction.

Gatsby changes his name in order to create a new self and make his life akin to God. Daisy is compared to the Holy Grail and Gatsbys dream is similar to a knights quest. Gatsbys watching Daisy over her window is compared to a vigil though Daisy was in her room that night. Hence his vigil is similar to Gatsbys dream over a nonexistent person. Gatsby fails to see the naked truth that Daisy, whom he met years back and fell in love, is not the same person anymore. Hence when Gatsby ponders over repeating the past, it is proven to him that it is impossible and as a result his dream fails. On a large scale, Fitzgerald claims that the spirituality of America has been collapsed by the material obsession of the people of this country.

All the above symbols such as the green light, the valley of ashes, and the shift from east to west represent one common feature change. Change is evident in action and the underlying meaning. There is a constant change of place where they live, for instance Tom and Daisy keep shifting from one place to another until they arrive at East Egg. Gatsby changes his name and thereby he attempts to start his life once again with an ultimate goal of attaining Daisy. The changing seasons represent the changes in the plot. Initially the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg represent the corruption in the American society associated with the American dream. But in the later part of the fiction, the eyes gain a spiritual meaning as they are compared to the eyes of God. This change symbolizes how the American spirituality has been corrupted by the quest for material possessions and wealth.

The movement of characters from the West to the East instead of the traditional East to West direction also symbolizes the state of corruption in the American society. The only character which changes in The Great Gatsby is Nick. Gatsby has set a dream for himself as a young man and hence he cannot change it. Tom and Daisy live in eternal youth, beauty and wealth, because their life is an advertisement which does not develop. Nick undergoes changes throughout the novel and he states, Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.

On the whole, symbolism is an extremely important device which has been prudently used by F.Scott Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby. Symbolism strengthens the story and enhances the conflict among the main characters of the novel, thereby bringing interesting twists and turns to the text. Almost everything in the novel is a symbol and it is this symbolism which has made The Great Gatsby one of the greatest American novels of all times.