...The Great Gatsby is a novel that reflects the 1920’s perfectly. Even though the book was written close to a century ago, its themes and messages are still applicable to today. By reading this story in between the lines, a reader will take away so much more. It is not only the skillfully written words on the surface that are important, but also the hidden meanings that can be found within those words. Gatsby’s frequent parties cover many aspects of the novel as they hold symbolism for Gatsby’s desire for Daisy, “new” money, and materialism. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that Gatsby throws his parties for reasons other than to entertain those around him. Gatsby has an underlying motive which proves his desire for Daisy. During the parties, Gatsby was almost impossible to find. This wasn’t because he was bouncing around socializing, but instead because he was watching the socializing from afar by himself. Nick is the one to witness this habit of his and narrates, “The nature of Mr Tostoff’s composition eluded me, because just as it began my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes.” (Fitzgerald 51). Gatsby is not drinking or taking any part in his gathering revealing that he does not throw parties to party. It is especially suspicious that Gatsby invites people over to drink and provides them with alcohol even though he is against drinking. It is said in the novel that “It is indirectly due...
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...backfires. In the search for these material items people tend to lose the importance of the relationships in their life. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby this idea is explored in the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy in which Gatsby uses his wealth in attempts to gain back to her love. Through symbolism, irony and imagery it becomes evident in Fitzgerald's writing that wealth and material objects cannot replace relationships or personal happiness. Through the usage of symbolism it is obvious Gatsby’s wealth is a proponent in the failure of his and Daisy’s relationship. Gatsby obtained his money and all of his extravagances in hopes of earning back the love he and Daisy once shared. However in one moment it is obvious that it is not possible, “He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them...While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher…, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily” (92). The shirts are representative of Gatsby's riches, which is he throwing in Daisy’s face in hopes of impressing her. Meanwhile, Daisy is realizing the life she left...
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...With the roaring 20’s came a time of glitz, glamor, and lavish lifestyles, including parties and events. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of how a group of wealthy individuals gets wrapped up in conflicts while trying to convey their wealth to one another. Jay Gatsby, the main character, became wealthy by getting involved in the stock market after the WWI, where he originally fell in love with Daisy. Daisy Buchanan is married to a wealthy man named Tom Buchanan, who later resents Gatsby, leading to his contribution to Gatsby’s death. A whirlwind of events occurs after the reunion of Gatsby and Daisy that is furthered with the symbolic messages created by Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses a variety of symbolic messages, including the green light of Daisy’s porch, the valley of ashes, and the East and West Egg, to help with the development of the plot and to give the novel...
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...2015 Many authors use symbolism to have an object represent a different, significant meaning then the obvious meaning. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism quite often through the novel, such as the color of white to show the determination of the characters when it is actually used to cover up their dishonesty. Throughout the novel the color white is used many times as a symbol, such as the time Gatsby wore an all white suit during his encounter with Tom. Gatsby’s plan was very evil and selfish and it is very ironic that he chose that color, since they represent innocence. This was his way of hiding all of the things he did it the past that doesn’t make him look like a supporting type of such. He spent the past four years try to get rich by selling alcohol so he could be able to support someone like Daisy, but he did it in the wrong ways. While he was do this, Tom had the right idea and impressed Daisy without the use of money. When Jordan said “we’re all white here,” she was using it as a symbol to say that they all have nothing to hide because white is a color that represents innocence. When the argument was reaching its end, Gatsby’s not so innocent character was revealed. “That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him up for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong,” said Tom. Gatsby’s true character finally came out and the man who appeared to be generous for opening his house for fun and parties was not who he really...
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...The Great Gatsby “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.” In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald presents his audience with a novel with intricate symbolism. Nick Carroway, the protagonist, has recently moved from the Midwest to get his career started in New York. He lives on the island of West Egg the poorer side of town, across from East Egg the wealthier side of town. In East Egg are where his pompous and snobbish friends Tom and Daisy live. They gossip and party a lot, all while Tom is cheating on Daisy with a lady named Myrtle Wilson. Everyone knows except for Daisy and Mr. Wilson. Meanwhile, Nick lives next door to a mysterious man named Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties, but yet no one knows anything about him. Throughout the book Nick learns about the mysterious Gatsby and what it is like to live around people who believe in a conceited world of indecency. Fitzgerald involves symbolism into the heart of the novel so strongly that it is necessary to read passages of the book more than once to full understand. The creative yet simplistic styling of this book is a major reason why The Great Gatsby is one of the classics of the 20th century. Throughout the book, three themes dominate the text of The Great Gatsby. These themes include the loss of time, appearance and characterization, and perspective. The word time appears many times in the novel either by itself or in a...
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...F. Scott Fitzgerald was an extraordinary author. He uses color symbolism throughout his famous novel The Great Gatsby. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, is related to Daisy Buchanan. Jay Gatsby, the man who throws the best parties in all of New York, is in love with Daisy. Tom, Daisy’s husband, has an affair with a woman named Myrtle from the Valley of Ashes. Fitzgerald use of color throughout the novel relates to the main character's thoughts, feelings, wants, and actions. Fitzgerald often uses the colors white, gold, and green to show further depth into the lives of the characters. White in the novel is used in reference with Daisy Buchanan. A daisy is white flower that represents innocence. When Nick first arrives at the Buchanan’s house in chapter one he says, “They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if hey had just been blown back in after short flight around the house.” (p.9) One of the girls he is referring to is Daisy. He is alluding to the fact the girls are happy, and full of life and innocence. White often represents innocence and purity....
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...In the novel The Great Gatsby the author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a multitude of literary devices to create the beautifully written piece. Foreshadowing and symbolism are the most important techniques used by him to make the reader have a stronger interpretation of the novel and to allow it to have a greater meaning. One of the key elements that Fitzgerald uses symbolism and foreshadowing for is death. Death is a main occurrence in the novel and Fitzgerald often alludes to it to give his novel a second dimension and allow the reader to become interactive with the reading. Many important characters of objects in the novel are symbols of death and destruction and these use of these symbols help to foreshadow when a death may occur. Thus...
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...THE GREAT GATSBY The Great Gatsby is a tale of luxury, lust, deceit, and murder. In Long Island, New York, Nick Carraway lives next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby, the owner of a huge mansion and host of frequent and lavish parties. Although prohibition has made alcohol illegal, Gatsby always has a surplus available at his wild social gatherings. As Nick starts to spend more time with Gatsby, he begins to learn about Gatsby’s past, his strange profession, and his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy. The story that unfolds truly highlights the scandalous and risky nature of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald had encompassed many literary devices in order to make this novel effective and more appealing. He has used techniques such as imagery, similes and the strongest one is symbolism. Fitzgerald has very smartly constructed his novel. "And only let me leave it in the soap dish when she saw that it was coming to pieces like snow.”(page 76) is an example of simile used in the text. This sentence suggests that Daisy was holding onto that letter until there wasn't really anything left of it. The letter obviously meant a whole lot to her if she took a bath with it. A representative of imagery used in the novel is "Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes.” This sentence paints a picture in our heads of Gatsby feeling cold with his hands in his pockets, while standing in a puddle...
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...Everything about The Great Gatsby seems to follow the love triangle of Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby. Gatsby and Daisy knew each other when they were younger. Sadly Daisy ended up with Tom before she ever thought about being with Gatsby. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there were multiple uses of color as symbolism in references to going forward, being rich and carefree, and foreseeing death. When someone sees a green light, they tend to move forward. Gatsby was so in love with Daisy that he could never move forward with his life unless he had her. Often Gatsby pointed to a green light across the bay because it reminded him of Daisy (92). Everything about Daisy screams the color green. Gatsby even said that “her voice is money” (120). While in attendance of one of Gatsby’s parties she mentions to Jordan and Nick that she would be passing out green cards all night (104). In other words, she is fine with sneaking off to be with Gatsby when she is supposed to be with her husband. Gold and silver are some of the most expensive elements out there today. In The Great Gatsby, more of the wealthier people that would come to Gatsby’s parties were wearing gold and silver dresses. To show that they were the in the upper class society. However, when Gatsby was younger, he was not all that...
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...The Great Gatsby, a story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one based on the American Dream or should I say the “demise” of the American Dream. This so called dream in the 20’s was portrayed by wickedness and greed. Week three of our lecture we were asked to discuss what the American Dream meant to us and my response was one based off freedom, discovery, and hard work. Immigrants, salves, lower class citizens, etc. were accustomed to earning their money through manual labor, not through family inheritance as seen by most of the characters from The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses this story and the characteristics and actions of these characters to say that the “American Dream” was based on a lie in the 1920’s. The carefree satisfaction of the Jazz Age, also seen as the Materialistic Era, led to the extortion of the American Dream. The Declaration of Independence states that “all man are created equal and that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” F. Scott Fitzgerald created this story to reveal that people in the 20’s were in a pursuit of selfish delight, and the equality of people was based on their financial assets. The line that states all mean are created equal is broken in the scene where Tom is bashing Gatsby for how he became wealthy. He calls Gatsby a crook, and in this in turn leads to retaliation from Gatsby and a fight almost breaking out. Two mean that hold such high class and dignity, yelling and...
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...Color Symbolism Rough Draft Throughout life a person experiences and sees many different colors. All colors send a hidden message to a person. The message can be based on that person’s emotion or what they just simply think the color’s message is. “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions”, this was said by Pablo Picasso. What he means by this is that colors can and will have a very big effect on your emotions and actions. Looking at certain colors can change your whole mood very quickly whether it’s great or awful. Some dark colors could cause you to be sad, angry, or gloomy. But when a person looks at bright, beautiful colors it can make them very happy, friendly and social. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby,...
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...The Great Gatsby’s third chapter mainly focuses on Nick’s first encounter, with the shrouded character of Jay Gatsby. Nick meets Gatsby at one of his gaudy parties; at which Nick seems to be “one of the few guests who had actually been invited”. Nick, of course, is employed by Fitzgerald and used to frame this chapter. Our established retrospective narrator writes in the subjective first person, meaning we only get his point of view of events; this peripheral style of narration generates intrigue within the reader, as Fitzgerald deliberately doesn’t want us guessing everything .In Jay McInerney’s article on ‘Gatsby’, he writes “Fitzgerald’s best narrators always seem to be partaking of the festivities even as they shiver outside with their noses pressed up against the glass.” I have to concur with McInerney here, as this quote sums up Nick’s narrative style completely. Nick is “within and without”, constantly on the outskirts of events, observing. From this it would be easy to conclude that Nick is a very dull narrator, whose appearance in the novel is only to mask Fitzgerald; so that Fitzgerald can get his opinions and views on this hedonistic lifestyle across. However, that is not the case, as Nick accommodates many aspects which pair with a good narrator. Nick is undoubtedly “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” and through his powerful quality of reservation, Fitzgerald allows other characters to express themselves and develop. This makes the novel more accessible...
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...In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, there is an obvious hiatus between the different social classes. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy man who resides in West Egg. Before Gatsby moved to West Egg, he had a relationship with Daisy Buchanan, who is Nick Carraway’s cousin. Gatsby went away from Daisy so he could fight in the war. While Gatsby was away, Daisy married Tom Buchanan and eventually moved to East Egg, where all the old money is. Gatsby moves to West Egg, where all the new money resides, so he could get back with Daisy. Between West and East Egg is an area called the valley of ashes, which all the working class and poor people live. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism and characterization to create the theme of the disconnect between the social classes. Fitzgerald uses symbolism for the valley of ashes to display the disconnect between the social classes. The valley of ashes is a poor area which connects West Egg to East Egg. It is full of “men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 23). The valley of ashes symbolizes the poor people who live in the dirty...
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...The Great Gatsby: Summary: Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg, Long Island, a wealthy area populated by the new rich, people who made their fortunes due to the economic upswing of the Roaring Twenties. Nick’s next-door neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a huge mansion and throws extravagant parties on the weekends. Nick is unlike the other inhabitants of West Egg—he was educated at Yale and has social connections in East Egg, a fashionable area of Long Island and the home of the upper class. Nick drives out to East Egg one evening to have dinner with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom, a former classmate of Nick during his time at Yale. Daisy and Tom introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, a beautiful, cynical young woman with whom Nick begins a romantic relationship. Nick also learns a bit about Daisy and Tom’s marriage: Jordan tells him that Tom has a lover, Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the valley of ashes, a gray industrial dumping ground between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this revelation, Nick travels to New York City with Tom and Myrtle. At a random, vulgar party in the apartment that Tom bought because of his affair, Myrtle begins to taunt Tom about Daisy, and Tom responds by breaking her nose. As the summer progresses, Nick eventually gets an invitation to one of Gatsby’s legendary parties. He encounters...
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...The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby gives the readers a visual image of every character’s life by expressing their feelings; the colors are used very often as symbols that depict the person’s character and represents their behavior. The author utilized the colors white, green, red, blue, yellow, and gold. The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is symbolic to the limitless promise of the dream Gatsby pursues. “Gatsby believed in the green light with such intensity that he did not realize his immature dream was unattainable from the start.”(Fitzgerald) Gatsby, was hoping that his American Dream would come true, it was his inspiration, his hope, and, ironically, his death and downfall. he was expecting to get married...
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