THE GREAT GATSBY

SYMBOLS

EAST EGG

EAST EGG

Old money section of Long Island (generations of money) Have social status and follow certain social graces Snobbish, self-centered; entitled Secret society: won’t allow anyone to enter from new money or the

lower class Daisy and Tom frown upon West Eggers and Gatsby’s parties

Use others Tom takes advantage of Wilson and toys with him about selling him a car

when his real business is Myrtle Tom has no intention of leaving Daisy and marrying Myrtle

Don’t accept responsibility for their actions Daisy doesn’t end it with Gatsby or say goodbye Daisy and Tom leave for Chicago after’s Myrtle’s death Tom views himself as the victim (“I cried when I saw those dog biscuits”) and

feels no remorse for Gatsby’s death The East symbolizes corruption of the American Dream

WEST EGG

WEST EGG

New money section of Long Island Earned their fortunes – hard workers Lack social acceptance and social position Glittering imitation of East Egg Vulgar rich Social climbers

Jay Gatsby acquiring his wealth (mansion and belongings) to try to win Daisy

Throws outlandish parties to gain status and get Daisy’s attention

West symbolic of American history and founding principles End of the novel Nick wants to go back to the Midwest (East

corrupt)

VALLEY OF ASHES

THE VALLEY OF ASHES

The gray, ashy, desolate area between East/West Egg and New York

Stark contrast to the East/West Egg presented in Chapter 1 – goes from life to decay – exemplifies the great (and terrible) divide between rich and poor

Could represent the struggles of the poor The hopelessness -- those living there lose vitality Wilson’s business isn’t successful; he’s spiritless & gray

Could represent how the rich exploit the poor Tom has an affair with Myrtle and has no intention of marrying her Tom takes advantage of Wilson by dangling the sale of a car in front

of him for the purposes of stealing time with Myrtle The moral decay of characters and their environment

Extramarital affairs, murder

THE GREEN LIGHT

THE GREEN LIGHT

The light at the end of Daisy and Tom’s dock At the beginning, hope and longing

Hope that Gatsby may get Daisy again Green can be symbolic of money

Gatsby’s obsession with making money to win Daisy Attempts to recapture the past (illusion)

Gatsby’s dream is for Daisy to tell Tom she never loved him & they can pretend the last five years never happened & pick up where they left off

At the end of the novel – nothing

EYES OF TJ ECKLEBURG

THE EYES OF DOCTOR T.J. ECKLEBERG

The faded, decaying billboard advertisement for an eye doctor

Sees all the moral corruption in the novel

The absence of God Extramarital affairs, murder, lack of

responsibility, recklessness, hollowness, underground crime

Yellow eyeglasses could represent cowardice (fear of seeing/accepting the truth)

OWL EYES

OWL EYES

In Gatsby’s library, amazed that the books are real and not cardboard

One of the few characters who attends Gatsby’s funeral and marvels at the lack of people

Eulogizes Gatsby as “a poor SOB” Could represent wisdom

GATSBY’S CAR (CARS IN GENERAL)

GATSBY’S CAR & CARS IN GENERAL

Owl Eyes’ crash, Tom’s crash, Daisy being a careless driver Represents recklessness, nonchalance, and lack of

responsibility of those who feel “entitled” Gatsby’s yellow Rolls Royce

Represents excess -- worst aspect of America’s worship of material wealth

The yellow “death” car Myrtle’s inability to be accepted into the class she

aspires to Careless people who ruin lives, retreat into their

money, and let others clean up their messes

GATSBY’S BOYHOOD SCHEDULE

GATSBY’S BOYHOOD SCHEDULE

Created by Gatsby when he was a boy; brought to New York by his father

Represents desire to get ahead, to be successful, to obtain the American dream

Driven to succeed even before Daisy

WOLFSHEIM’S CUFFLINKS

Cufflinks made from human molars

Brutality, cruelness of the mobsters Gatsby’s

“gonnegtions”

DAISY’S VOICE

Voice of money Tradition belonging

to the old rich; snobby Inaccessibility of the

old rich Never marry Gatsby

(not her class)

MANTLE CLOCK

Gatsby knocks it over when he sees Daisy at Nick’s

His attempt to recreate the past, pretend like the last five years haven’t existed, make up for lost time

Falling clock=can’t undo/change the past

COLORS

WHITE

WHITE

Is wearing a white dress in Chapter 1 Daisy’s name – white flower with yellow

center Daisy drove a white car when she was

younger She married Tom because of the

$350,000 white pearl necklace White is absence of color – absence of

purity and innocence

YELLOW

REFERENCES TO YELLOW/GOLD

“Jordan’s slender golden arm resting in mine” (43)

Gatsby’s gold tie Gold could be symbolic of old money,

luxury, and materialism Yellow death car “Yellow cocktail music” (40) “Two girls in twin yellow dresses” (42) Yellow may represent cowardice --

GRAY

GRAY

The Valley of Ashes is full of the color gray

Could represent the decay of hope and dreams Myrtle dies there, Wilson has a breakdown,

where Gatsby’s dreams are shattered

BLUE

BLUE

Wilson’s blue eyes, blue eyes of TJ Eckleburg Could represent hope for the future

Blue of Gatsby’s garden at his parties Fantasy world/illusion – people go to

Gatsby’s parties to get away from the real world – he holds his parties to capture Daisy’s attention

RED

RED

The color red is associated with Myrtle Could represent vitality, liveliness, passion Violence associated with her death