The Great Gatsby Symbols
Symbol Textual Support/References
"He stretched out his arm
The Green toward the dark water in a
curious way, and, far as I was
Light
from him, I could have sworn
he was trembling. 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" (Chapter 1,
pg. 21).
"This is a valley of ashes—a
The Valley of fantastic farm where ashes
grow like wheat into ridges and
Ashes
hills and grotesque gardens;
where ashes take the 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" (Chapter 2, pg. 25).
"The eyes of Doctor T. J.
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are blue and
gigantic—their retinas are one
Eckleburg yard high. They look out of no
face, but, instead, from a pair
of enormous yellow spectacles
which pass over a non-existent
nose." (Chapter 2, pg. 27).
Possible Meanings
The light is to symbolize Gatsby's
unending love for Daisy, his hope
and his American dream, as well as
his longing for the past and his
inability to move on from it.
The valley of ashes is a desolate,
industrial area located between the
wealthy neighborhoods of West Egg
and New York City. It is described
as a gray, gloomy place filled with
the ashes from the coal-burning
factories in the area. The valley of
ashes serves as a symbol of the
moral and social decay that results
from the excess and corruption of
the wealthy characters in the novel.
The eyes on a billboard overlooking
the valley of ashes are a symbol of
the moral decay of the society and
the lack of spiritual guidance and
values.
 "I wanted to get away from the
Water city to remind him of the
country, because that was
Gatsby's long suit. He was a
great hand at getting up a
picnic" (Chapter 3, pg. 50).
The Great Gatsby Symbols
Symbol Textual Support/References
“It was a rich cream color,
Automobiles bright with nickel, swollen here
and there in its monstrous
length with triumphant
hat-boxes and supper-boxes
and tool-boxes, and terraced
with a labyrinth of wind-shields
that mirrored a dozen suns"
(Chapter 1, pg. 17).
"It was two years before I
Time went to Gatsby's house on a
hill behind his marble-façaded
mansion, looking out of the
window at nothing particular"
(Chapter 1, pg. 2)
water is used as a symbol of
renewal and change. It is also
associated with the passage of
time, as the novel's characters
frequently visit the nearby bay and
ocean.
Possible Meanings
The automobile is a symbol of the
characters' desire for freedom and
their ability to move forward, but
also represents their moral decay
and reckless behavior.
Time is also an important symbol
in the novel, as the story takes
place over a period of several
years and is told through a series
of flashbacks. The passage of time
is used to illustrate the characters'
changing fortunes and
relationships, and to suggest that
the world of the novel is in a state
of constant flux.
 "He took out a pile of shirts
Shirts/Clothing and began throwing them, one
by one before us, shirts of
sheer linen and thick silk and
fine flannel which lost their
folds as they fell and covered
the table in many-colored
disarray" (Chapter 5, pg. 92)
"It was a matter of chance that
Geography I should have rented a house
(East/West, etc.) in one of the strangest
communities in North
America. It was on that
slender riotous island which
extends itself due east of New
York—and where there are,
among other natural
curiosities, two unusual
formations of land" (Chapter
1, pg. 1)
Clothing is used as a symbol of
social status and wealth. The
characters' clothing choices are
often used to indicate their level of
prosperity and the characters often
use their clothing to try to fit in or
stand out in the society.
Geography plays a significant role
in the novel as the characters are
divided by the social status and
wealth. The novel is set on Long
Island, where the wealthy
characters live in the east, while
the less wealthy live in the west.
This physical divide serves to
symbolize the social divide
between the characters. The
geography also serves to create
an atmosphere of isolation and
loneliness.