The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many symbols in order to emphasize its themes. These themes mostly have to do with the American dream and it's corruption. Many of the characters in this novel are striving towards greater wealth and status. They feel that once they get this everything will be prefect. This is in the classic American tradition except that it has been corrupted by the means they are willing to employ to gain their aspirations. Those who are already on the top of the financial and social ladder are a mockery to the American dream as well, they are careless and self-absorbed. They are not hard working in fact they are lazy and only seek to amuse themselves. They do what they want for they have always had their money to get them out of trouble. The dream is shown as much better than the reality turns out to be.
The theme of social status and class is very important in this novel. It gets in the way of almost every character and his or her dreams. East Egg and West Egg acts as a symbol of this theme. Tom and Daisy live in East Egg, which is far more refined and well bred. They have inherited their money and status so it has always been there and thus have no concept of what it is like to work for anything
Most of the people in the book are careless. There seems to be no fear of consequence or of judgment. That is why the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg are there. These eyes stare out from a billboard that looks over Wilson's garage. The eyes are always mentioned whenever Nick is there. They look over the situation and offer a kind of judgment on the characters and their actions. Wilson calls them the eyes of God, "God knows what you've been doing, everything you've been doing."(167) They are placed near Wilson's because that is where some of the most selfish acts take place: Myrtle's death, Tom's affair. In these crimes the guilty went unpunished so they eyes are there to remind us them of what they have done. It makes it slightly less frustrating knowing that those who committed these acts will not get off completely free and that at least someone is judging them and looking down in disapproval.
The symbols in The Great Gatsby help to highlight its themes. The sense of wanting to better ones' self in order to gain happiness is shown. The idea that always getting more will make you happy is also there. The characters in this book were looking for something more than what they had. They were willing to do some immoral things to finally r
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