Symbols :
The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg on the billboard overlooking the Valley of Ashes represent many things at once: to Nick
they seem to symbolize the haunting waste of the past, which lingers on
though it is irretrievably vanished, much like Dr. Eckleburg’s medical
practice. The eyes can also be linked to Gatsby,
whose own eyes, once described as “vacant,” often stare out, blankly
keeping “vigil” (a word Fitzgerald applies to both Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes
and Gatsby’s) over Long Island sound and the green light. To George Wilson, Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes are the eyes of God, which he says see everything.
East and West
Nick describes the novel as a book about Westerners, a “story of the West.” Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Gatsby, and Nick
all hail from places other than the East. The romanticized American
idea of going West to seek and make one’s fortune on the frontier turned
on its ear in the 1920’s stock boom; now those seeking their fortune
headed back East to cash in. But while Gatsby
suggests there was a kind of honor in the hard work of making a fortune
and building a life on the frontier, the quest for money in the East is
nothing more than that: a hollow quest for money. The split between the
eastern and western regions of the United States is mirrored in Gatsby
by the divide between East Egg and West Egg: once again the West is the
frontier of people making their fortunes, but these “Westerners” are as
hollow and corrupt inside as the “Easterners.”
Gatsby’s Mansion
Gatsby’s
mansion symbolizes two broader themes of the novel. First, it
represents the grandness and emptiness of the 1920s boom: Gatsby
justifies living in it all alone by filling the house weekly with
“celebrated people.” Second, the house is the physical symbol of
Gatsby’s love for Daisy. Gatsby used his “new money” to create a place that he thought rivaled the houses of the “old money” that had taken her away.
Valley of Ashes
One of the first symbols mentioned in the book is the Valley of Ashes, “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (22,4ff.).
The Valley of Ashes resembles something dark and lifeless. As a result of fire ashes stand for destruction and death. Furthermore the death of Myrtle Wilson in the Valley of Ashes stands for the pain associated with this valley. Also the fact that the Wilsons live in the valley shows that they are not of such high social standards as the other characters in the novel. By having to pass through the Valley of Ashes in order to get to New York, the other characters have to betake themselves to this lower status.
Gatsby's library
Nick and Jordan stumble upon the library while searching for Gatsby, and in it they meet Owl Eyes, a spectacled, drunken guest who stares astonishingly at the number of real, unread books before him. “Absolutely real – have pages and everything,” he says. “I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact they’re absolutely real.” Owl Eyes, by saying this and acting in this manner, reveals the importance behind the books and the authenticity of Gatsby’s collection. Unlike what he was expecting to find (either cardboard replications or poor, worthless publications), he sees a collection of unread, unused, genuine books, worth a significant amount of money.
The library is essentially a symbolization of Gatsby’s wealth and his desire to show it off. He is fully aware of the value of the books in his library. The only reason he owns them is to add to his ritzy image in hopes of impressing Daisy. Daisy is accustomed to money, and Gatsby believes that the only way he will ever win her back is through a luxurious lifestyle. The truth, however, is that Gatsby could care less about money. It is clear that the books have never been read (the bindings are uncut), meaning they are merely there for show; Gatsby is not interested in reading them, but is rather interested in what he can obtain by owning them.
The irony in the books lies in the fact that they are only good for show.
Wolfsheim's cufflinks
The irresistible desire to show off that is typical of "rags to riches" people.The use of human teeth as cufflinks tends to emphasise the mixture of civilised sophistication (the cufflinks) and barbarism (teeth) that makes up the character of Wolfsheim. His name, Wolfsheim, suggests something primal. He is drawn in some ways as a stereotypical Jew of the period - undersized, flashy and involved in underhand dealings. This is not saying that Jews of the period were like that. Many writers drew them as that, though.
Valley of Ashes
One of the first symbols mentioned in the book is the Valley of Ashes, “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (22,4ff.).
The Valley of Ashes resembles something dark and lifeless. As a result of fire ashes stand for destruction and death. Furthermore the death of Myrtle Wilson in the Valley of Ashes stands for the pain associated with this valley. Also the fact that the Wilsons live in the valley shows that they are not of such high social standards as the other characters in the novel. By having to pass through the Valley of Ashes in order to get to New York, the other characters have to betake themselves to this lower status.
Gatsby's library
Nick and Jordan stumble upon the library while searching for Gatsby, and in it they meet Owl Eyes, a spectacled, drunken guest who stares astonishingly at the number of real, unread books before him. “Absolutely real – have pages and everything,” he says. “I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact they’re absolutely real.” Owl Eyes, by saying this and acting in this manner, reveals the importance behind the books and the authenticity of Gatsby’s collection. Unlike what he was expecting to find (either cardboard replications or poor, worthless publications), he sees a collection of unread, unused, genuine books, worth a significant amount of money.
The library is essentially a symbolization of Gatsby’s wealth and his desire to show it off. He is fully aware of the value of the books in his library. The only reason he owns them is to add to his ritzy image in hopes of impressing Daisy. Daisy is accustomed to money, and Gatsby believes that the only way he will ever win her back is through a luxurious lifestyle. The truth, however, is that Gatsby could care less about money. It is clear that the books have never been read (the bindings are uncut), meaning they are merely there for show; Gatsby is not interested in reading them, but is rather interested in what he can obtain by owning them.
The irony in the books lies in the fact that they are only good for show.
Wolfsheim's cufflinks
The irresistible desire to show off that is typical of "rags to riches" people.The use of human teeth as cufflinks tends to emphasise the mixture of civilised sophistication (the cufflinks) and barbarism (teeth) that makes up the character of Wolfsheim. His name, Wolfsheim, suggests something primal. He is drawn in some ways as a stereotypical Jew of the period - undersized, flashy and involved in underhand dealings. This is not saying that Jews of the period were like that. Many writers drew them as that, though.
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