August 31, 2010 Annalisa Lopez

English III 2A

Symbolism within Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby

Within Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald manipulates symbolization in order

to exhibit the ultimate downfall of Gatsby's dream, the true selfish nature of Tom and Daisy, and his

deep felt meaning behind The Great Gatsby concerning the American Dream and the scandals of the

twenties.

Fitzgerald accomplishes his symbolization by creating a scene in which Gatsby waits eagerly

outside the Buchanan household to protect Daisy while in reality Daisy and Tom are seen by both the

reader and Nick “conspiring together” in a relaxed environment with no threat of danger. Despite

Nick's words of reassurance that no harm will come to Daisy, Gatsby remains in place until the end of

the chapter where the reader and Nick see Gatsby “standing there in the moonlight–watching over

nothing.” A portion of Fitzgerald's symbolization lies in the distinct parallel between the reader's first

introduction to Gatsby as he stares off into the distance at “a green light,” otherwise known as Daisy's

house, which symbolizes Gatsby's dream of finally obtaining Daisy and the consequent scene of Gatsby

standing alone outside of Daisy's house watching his dream of a life with Daisy fade into the

nothingness that his dream never had a chance of escaping as he stands outside her house with

withering of hope.

In addition to this symbolization that brings forth an awareness of Gatsby's crashing dreams,

Fitzgerald also embeds symbolization in the manner that Nick and the reader discover Daisy and Tom

interacting while Gatsby waits outside with “the sacredness of a vigil.” Within the scene, Tom “talk[s]

intently across the table at [Daisy], and in his earnestness [Tom's] hand fall[s]upon and cover[s]

[Daisy's] own,” which symbolizes the East Egg's old aristocratic manner of sinking back into their

censored world of riches and not acknowledging the people who suffer due to their reckless actions,

such as Gatsby, Myrtle, and Wilson. Thus with this symbolization, Fitzgerald displays the tragic irony
August 31, 2010 Annalisa Lopez
English III 2A

that Gatsby's newly gained riches prove worthless in Daisy and Tom's society where old money reigns

strong and does no evil and further displays that despite Gatsby's best efforts he never stands a chance

with Daisy due to his placement outside and lack of acceptance into the old aristocratic society.

By creating this symbolization Fitzgerald sets the stage for the reader to understand his deeper

meanings by connecting the effects that the symbols have on the overall meaning of the novel. For

instance, within the passage Tom and Daisy represent the old aristocratic society, but furthermore stand

for the recklessness that the people of the twenties went about living their lives without a thought or

moral in the world. This depicts itself when Nick states that Daisy and Tom “[aren't] happy, and neither

of them [has] touched the chicken or ale-and yet they [aren't] unhappy either” after the catastrophic

events where Myrtle dies and Gatsby takes the blame for Daisy killing Myrtle. Fitzgerald also utilizes

Gatsby to symbolize deeper meanings and opinions toward the twenties by engineering Gatsby's

character to fit the pursuit of the American Dream due to his rise from dust to glamour, and Fitzgerald

further conveys his opinion of the American Dream by preventing Gatsby from achieving his dream

and by making Gatsby obtain his riches through shady methods. Instead, Fitzgerald depicts the manner

in which the American Dream was heavily stained and tainted by the immoral values of the twenties

which mainly focused on the accumulation of glamour, riches, and alcohol.

Fitzgerald skillfully inputs symbolization throughout his novel and within the passage to mainly

aid in both helping move along the plot line by portraying the death and decay of Gatsby's dream, and

by also representing Fitzgerald's true feelings and opinions toward the society of the nineteen-twenties

and all of the human faults that went along with that era including the utter consumption and

overindulgence in money artificial objects, and false appearances.