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Symbols In The Great Gatsby

Decent Essays

Objects can represent different things to different people, sometimes they could be as plain as an eraser; which symbolises a fix in a mistake while other times,the object chair can symbolise both comfort and peace. In the book “The Great Gatsby” the author focusses on key symbols that helps him convey his overall message:through eyes of TJ Eckleburg and how his presence influences the people living the valley of ashes,by comparing and contrasting the way an individual lives by comparing people from two different spectrums of society,and finally by using specific striking colours that convey the mood and emotions of the characters throughout the book.

The god like perception of TJ Eckleburg to the people of the ashes influences them to doubt and question the wrongdoings in society and revolt against them. George Wilson and many living in the ashes believed that eyes of TJ Eckleburg were godlike, to them the eyes always looked down on them and were unhappy with their day to day doings. Wilson was a man of belief he hoped for a good life with Myrtle; upon finding out about Myrtle's affair and later the passing away of Myrtle;he was affected in a negative way, to him it meant as if God was giving him punishment for Myrtles deed’s “God sees everything”[The Great Gatsby page 160] this in turn gives him the perception of hunting the person Myrtle had an affair with which in his mind was Gatsby. Tom on the other hand is spiritually empty he has absolutely no perception of god as he views himself as the divine authority and thinks he has the right to control people.Tom doesn't consider himself like the people of the ashes he views the ashes as “Terrible” and considered it unlivable, he has no concept of fearing TJ Eckleburg because to him the eyes did the same thing he did that was manipulate and control people “ [Tom] exchanging a frown with Doctor Eckleburg” [pg 26] meant that he viewed the eyes as another meaningless thing that the poor people believed in.

Fitzgerald uses wealth and possession of different people throughout the book to emphasise and justify the character's life choices. Myrtle’s belief of material things signifying to make a successful and wealthy person makes her

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