Analysis of Symbolism in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Symbolism is one of an author’s most powerful tools to use in writing to bring out a deeper meaning of anything that happens in a story or even an inanimate object. The Great Gatsby is a story about a man named Gatsby trying to acquire his long-lost love Daisy from her current relationship. The obstacles they have to endure through and the ending is by no means sweet in this story. By finding symbols in the story, a reader can think more keenly about what that particular bit is about and what it relates to the story. Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, uses symbolism to highlight the theme of love in the book using profound symbols such as the green light, Gatsby’s mansion, and car accidents. 

First, in the final moment's chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby, Nick sees that Gatsby is looking at a green light on a dock in the distance which symbolizes his hopes and dreams of their future and them being together. The scene was described by Fitzgerald as, “Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away,  that might have been the end of a dock”(24). The green light represented in the text is his dream for the future with Daisy and his hand that is reaching out for the light was his attempt at grabbing ahold of their future together. The love that Gatsby yearns for is a major driving force for him to make money quickly and get into the society that Daisy is currently in. When Nick was watching Gatsby at a certain time, he vanishes and the text says, “When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness”(24-25). The way that Gatsby vanishes then foreshadows what he will do in the future and it is like how Daisy vanished 

5 years before when he had gone to war. His dream and happiness will soon vanish after he achieves everything he desires. 

Additionally, Jay Gatsby was a part of the West Egg community and owned a huge, expensive mansion which is an important symbol in this book that correlates with the green light symbol as well. “‘It was a strange coincidence,’ I said. ‘But it wasn’t a coincidence at all.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay”’(84-85). This text reveals that even though this house was insanely expensive, he bought it just for the reason to be across from Daisy. According to this, this means that all the lavish parties he organizes are done in hopes of Daisy eventually coming to one of them. Also, another reason for the numerous is because of the loneliness he is feeling such as, “The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher.” Readers can evaluate that the parties that Gatsby throws are not for the satisfaction of other people because of the reason that he doesn’t even know a lot of the people who attend. Love is usually the deciding factor for Gatsby’s decision-making as the house and the parties he threw were purely meant for a second chance to reconnect with Daisy. 

Moreover, two car crashes happen during the period of this book. This car crash symbolizes the first crack and the first rift in Tom and Daisy’s marriage life. Fitzgerald says, “A week after I left Santa Barbara Tom ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night and ripped a front wheel off his car. The girl who was with him got into the papers too because her arm was broken-she was one of the chambermaids in the Santa Barbara Hotel”(83). The words of Jordan Baker show the reader that Daisy is with Tom because she is attracted to his wealth, and there is not any love in their marriage. The damage that was dealt with the car can also be a symbol of their marriage taking damage and breaking down. This also explains why she is still willing to be married to him despite his unfaithfulness. Furthermore, another unfortunate incident happened to Myrtle Wilson as Fitzgerald wrote, “The ‘death car’  as the newspapers called it, didn’t stop; it came out of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment and then disappeared around the next bend” (147). The damage the car has taken by Myrtle can be explained again why Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship now took another hit and is the first drop for a rain of hurt that is about to come. Little things such as how Daisy loves Tom for his old money and how she wouldn’t admit to Gatsby that she never loved him are also factors for their relationship falling apart. Cars are the symbols that are used to describe the relationships between different couples throughout the book and how the crashes related to the cars relate to their relationship. 

In the end, symbolism in The Great Gatsby is described multiple times throughout the story, and it supports the theme of love, mainly focusing on the love between Gatsby and Daisy. The green light symbolizes his dreams of being together with Daisy again and the hope he has that it will happen. Gatsby’s mansion, though it is almost always empty and seems lonely, symbolizes the way he feels when he is without Daisy. Fitzgerald carefully weaves in the symbol of cars and their accidents to symbolize the character’s relationships taking damage and breaking apart. While going through the story of the book that Fitzgerald wrote, various themes and symbols are found that could support the theme. If sought hard enough, other symbols and themes can be found also in The Great Gatsby.