Gatsby And Daisy example essay topic

967 words
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby There are many types of symbolism in the novel The Great Gatsby. Probably the easiest to recognize were the colors and what they symbolized. The most obvious colors to point out would have to be green and white. Green supported feelings of many thoughts, ideas, and changes that Gatsby experienced throughout the story. It also represented peace and determination. White represented innocence and serenity.

Another example of symbolism is when Gatsby broke the clock in Nick's house. This symbolized the factor that time played throughout the characters' lives. The color green in the story was presented by the light at the end of Daisy's dock. This color is sometimes used by writers to represent a sense of greed or peace. The latter was used by F. Scott Fitzgerald to describe Gatsby's life as peaceful before he reunites with Daisy. If he had learned from this color, there's a chance that he might have never caused problems between Daisy and her husband and therefore never have been killed.

Nick explained this on page 189, saying "His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know it was already behind him". Another interpretation of the color green could be "Go", as in a traffic light. In the story, it could have symbolized how Gatsby should have pursued his dream to marry Daisy at all costs and no matter the consequences. If Daisy's dock light had been red, it could have motivated Jay to give up and forget about the past. Instead, the green light gave Gatsby hope that some day his dream might come true.

The lead character's misguided determination inspired by the light at the end of Daisy's dock, although intended to do well, ended up the reason for his death. The same determination that drove Gatsby to pursue Daisy was also shown earlier in his life. As a boy, James Gate strive d to make himself a better person. He dreamed of one day becoming a well-known and respected member of society. At the end of the novel after Gatsby was killed, Nick met Gatsby's father. His father told Nick of how his son had even made a schedule of how to better himself.

The color white was introduced into the novel when Daisy was described as wearing a white dress. The dress showed her as having a pure and innocent personality. It was actually ironic that she wore white because the reader knows of her true characteristics. The white covered the fact that she was having an affair with Gatsby. White can also sometimes symbolize honesty, which is something Nick looked for in people. The narrator and Gatsby were both honest men and became friends because of it.

Nick stopped dating Jordan Baker because she was a dishonest person. This color also showed that Daisy and her husband were both rich and proud of their accomplishments. Another person who often wore white in the novel was Jordan Baker. The color hid her snobby attitude which was noticed by Nick, the narrator.

Nick saw through the mask and no longer continued to date Jordan. The last form of symbolism was shown the first time that Gatsby and Daisy reunited after their five year separation. This reunion took place at Nick's house. Gatsby had Nick invite his cousin Daisy over on a rainy afternoon.

Gatsby surprised her by making an appearance shortly after she arrived. The nervous Jay knocked over and broke a clock while trying to keep his cool around Daisy. This symbolized how time stopped for the two of them when Gatsby went to war. Jay wished things could go back to how they were before Daisy married Tom, but inside he knew that it was impossible then.

The clock breaking could also be seen as the end of Gatsby's time. It foreshadowed that his time was running short and soon something might happen to prevent him from marrying Daisy. In the end, Wilson cut Gatsby's time short by killing him for no reason. Overall, the clock represented time and how it played a reoccurring roll in the novel. Time separated Daisy and Gatsby from getting married five years prior to the setting of the story.

The breaking of the clock showed a sudden change in the steady pace of time. Although there were many literary techniques used throughout the story, symbolism played the largest roll in The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald used many different objects and colors to portray different moods and feelings expressed by the characters in this novel. Though they may not realize at first, these symbols influence how the reader views the story. Every reader can interpret these symbols in a different way.

That's the point of using them. Each person can take a symbol and think what they want about it. They make stories more personal to the audience and allows for them to relate to the characters. In this story, the symbols represent the characters' choices and feelings for one another. The color green represents peace as well as the determination for Gatsby to marry his lost love, Daisy. The color white represented innocence and honesty.

These were shown by Daisy and Jordan. The final symbol was the clock which was broken by Gatsby. This represented time and how it played a major roll in the lives of the characters and how it affected their choices.