Exploring Symbolism and Other Themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

Introduction

The novel “The Great Gatsby,” authored by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, narrates Jay Gatsby’s story, his character, and his pursuit of love and wealth. In particular, the novel signifies symbolism in Gatsby’s interaction with the green light, including exploring the theme of materialism through his pursuit of Daisy’s attention and the theme of social class by drawing a contrast between East Egg and the Valley of Ashes.

Symbolism of the Green Light

The novel’s depiction of Gatsby’s interaction with the green light symbolizes his aspiration of reuniting with Daisy by manifesting his desire and faith. Hope is predicated on having faith in oneself to be able to accomplish a desirable goal.¹ The character of Gatsby also portrays desire and faith in his interaction with the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. In the novel, Gatsby curiously extends his arms toward the water from the green light.² As a result, the act of Gatsby stretching his arm symbolizes Gatsby’s desire to grasp his relationship with Daisy. Additionally, Gatsby thinks that he can catch the green light if he extends his hands further.³ The perception of the green light symbolizes Gatsby’s faith in achieving his goal of rekindling his relationship with Daisy. Hence, Gatsby’s faith and desire to attain his objective of grasping the green light symbolizes his hope of winning back Daisy.

1. Emma Pleeging, Job van Exel, and Martijn Burger, “Characterizing Hope: An Interdisciplinary Overview of the Characteristics of Hope,” Applied Research Quality Life 17, no. 3 (2022): 1682, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09967-x.

2. Francis S. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925), 24.

3. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 193.

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The Theme of Materialism

Gatsby’s story explores the theme of materialism through his pursuit of Daisy using his possessions. Materialism is a feature that is more likely to be associated with the idea in which the person is focused on gaining attention through material possession and consumption.⁴ In the novel, Gatsby portrays materialistic characteristics by using his belongings to gain attention. Moreover, Gatsby displays his collection of beautiful shirts to Daisy to impress her.⁵ The theme of materialism is shown by Gatsby when he gains Daisy’s attention by flaunting his shirt collection. Thus, Gatsby’s possessive nature amplifies the theme of materialism in the novel.

4. David C. Watson, “Self-Compassion, the ‘Quiet Ego’ and Materialism,” Heliyon 4, no. 10 (2018): 4, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00883

5. Fitzgerald, 99.

The Theme of Social Class

The book explores the theme of social class by drawing a contrast between the upper social class residents of East Egg and the lower social class people of the Valley of Ashes. Social class is established by differences in individuals’ wealth or resources.⁶ In this case, the novel portrays social class as an unequal distribution of resources among people. Furthermore, Fitzgerald describes East Egg as a fashionable place with white palaces.⁷ The residents of East Egg are depicted as those belonging to a higher social class. On the other hand, the Valley of Ashes is shown to have grotesque gardens with ashes that resemble buildings, chimneys, and smoke.⁸ As such, the residents of the Valley of Ashes are portrayed as those who belong to a lower social class. Therefore, the novel portrays East Egg as the upper social class residence and the Valley of Ashes to show unwealthy people.

6. Antony S. R. Manstead, “The Psychology of Social Class: How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Thought, Feelings, and Behavior,” The British Journal of Social Psychology 57, no. 2, (2018): 272, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12251

7. Fitzgerald, 8.

8. Fitzgerald, 26.

Conclusion

Fitzgerald’s novel portrays symbolism in Gatsby’s interaction with the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby’s desire and faith in reaching the light symbolize his hope of getting Daisy to be his romantic partner. In addition, the book explores the theme of materialism by showing Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy’s attention using his collection of beautiful shirts. Finally, the novel explores the theme of social hierarchies using the residents of East Egg and the Valley of Ashes to represent high and low social class individuals.

Bibliography

Fitzgerald, Francis S. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925.

Manstead, Antony S. R. “The Psychology of Social Class: How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Thought, Feelings, and Behavior.” The British Journal of Social Psychology 57, no. 2 (2018): 267–291. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12251.

Pleeging, Emma, Job van Exel, and Martijn Burger. “Characterizing Hope: An Interdisciplinary Overview of the Characteristics of Hope.” Applied Research Quality Life 17, no. 3 (2022): 1681–1723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09967-x.

Watson, David C. “Self-Compassion, the ‘Quiet Ego’ and Materialism.” Heliyon 4, no. 10 (2018): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00883.