Five most important literary symbols in The Great Gatsby
From the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg to the green light across the harbour, perhaps no book is as filled with symbolism as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. This novel, published in 1925, is about wealth and corruption in modern society, the isolated figure of Gatsby the symbol of the American Dream gone awry.
Symbolism abounds in F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous novel, The Great Gatsby.
The novel was written in a time of great change. The Great Gatsby is not only the story of one man trying to recapture his idealistic love for a woman, but it is also about 1920s society, corruption and materialism.
The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg
The most recognisable symbol in The Great Gatsby are the watchful eyes of Dr T. J. Eckleburg, which peer out over the valley of ashes like the eyes of God or conscience.
These bespectacled eyes, the remnants of an old advertising billboard, overlook a vast wasteland and appear to be to judging modern society.
The valley of ashes
The eyes of Eckleburg peer out over the valley of ashes, a dumping ground for industrial ash.
The valley of ashes is a wasteland brought about by society’s moral decay.
The poor must live in the shadow of the ashes, while the wealthy pursue materialistic pleasures.
The green light
The green light across the bay is symbolic of Gatsby’s hope. Gatsby believes in the light, which beams from the end of Daisy’s dock.
The light appears to Gatsby a beacon of hope for winning back Daisy’s love. The green light also represents the money and pleasure Gatsby seeks.
East egg and west egg
Of the two communities, East Egg represents old money.
These established families resent the new class of people, the self-made wealth of West Egg.
The West Egg represents a new class of people, those who have risen to the top by Yankee perseverance, who are sometimes reckless and lack the gentility of the old rich.
The owl-eyed man
The owl-eyed man, like the bespectacled billboard, is a watchful observer.
The owl is associated with wisdom.
He is the only one of Gatsby’s guests who sees through Gatsby’s great façade. He shows amazement that the books in Gatsby’s library are real, but marvels that they never been opened.
Many other instances of symbolism can be found throughout the book.
