On the superficial level, The Great Gatsby tells the story of a young middle class man who happens to get mixed up in the chaotic affairs of his wealthy cousin and neighbor. F. Scott Fitzgerald's story of life in the 1920s is much more than it appears to be, though. Even such things as the colors used in description play a crucial part in the "big picture" of the entire novel. Symbolism adds a whole ... with. One of the most important of symbols in the novel is the valley of ashes. The valley, basically, represents what destroys Gatsby and his dream. The valley of ashes represents the America...

• Word Count: 988
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... makes a story complete. In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald cleverly uses symbolism. Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing the characters wear. There are three main symbols used in the novel, they are The East and West Egg, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, and the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. One of the most important symbols in the novel is class and social ... standing. It is like a barrier for almost every character. East and West Eggs act as a symbol of this by its physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the East ...

• Word Count: 595
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... unreachable vision of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character in The Great Gatsby, and Willy Loman, the main character in Death of a Salesman, both symbolize the American Dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the American Dream according to Jay Gatsby is to have as many material possessions as possible. He thinks money is the answer to anything he encounters. Gatsby has the best of everything; the fanciest car, the largest house, and the finest clothes. Jay ... successful. He believes that success is measured by how many people attend your funeral. Gatsby tries to...

• Word Count: 1076
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... like rowing a boat against the current, Gatsby's power to dream lifts him above the meaningless and amoral pleasure-seeking of New York society. In Nick's view, Gatsby's capacity to dream makes him "great- despite his flaws and eventual undoing. While reading Great Gatsby, I also found two important symbols, they are the green light at the end of Daisy's dock and the eyes of Doctor T.J.Eckleburg. The green light is only ... a green light, but to Gatsby it becomes the embodiment of his dream for the future, and to lead him to ... his goal. He focuses on the struggle of human beings to ac...

• Word Count: 794
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . I am going to show how effective Fitzgerald is at portraying the materialism in the American society throughout his novel "The great Gatsby". Fitzgerald illustrates the corruption of the dream through his portrayal of the characters lives and relationships with each other. The main characters in Fitzgerald's novel are symbols of some aspects of the American Dream. This is a first person narrative; due to this a more intensifying atmosphere is created; there is ... also a much greater feeling of immediacy conveyed throughout the novel; also allows the reader to relate ... ...

• Word Count: 1099
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School