Character’s Personality in the Great Gatsby Essay

The great(p) Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a love story about one mans desire to climb the social ladder and to marry the daughter of his daydreams. In this novel, Fitzgerald uses imagery and many symbols to unveil significant aspects of the central character, Jay Gatsbys, personality. The commonalty commence violates hope in Gatsbys future. His family is similarly a symbol, representing his wealth but as well as how he still wishes to be classed higher in hostelry. The orbs also represent the barriers between the upper and lower classes of Long Island.First of all, the colour green that is displayed through the light that Gatsby notices Daisy always has on that burns all night at the end of her dock (91) represents Jay Gatsbys jealousy towards turkey cock Buchanan as well as his hopes for his future, including the American Dream. Envy that Gatsby feels for Tom Buchanan is present because Gatsby loves Daisy and wanted to marry quin years ago, but could not because of the difference in social class. At the time, Daisy was a rich girl and Jay, a poor boy. Daisy could not have possibly get hitched with someone as poor as Jay Gatsby and could not wait around for him either, so she married Tom Buchanan, which leads to Gatsbys jealousy. When they are all in town, Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy has never loved him (124) and rather that she has loved Gatsby all along.He tells Tom that Daisy only married him because he was poor and she was tired of waiting for him (124). When Gatsby stretches out his arms out toward the dark water (25) at the green light, this shows Gatsby reaching for his love, Daisy Buchanan, trying to grab the woman that he could never have, which seems so close but is far than it appears. The green light represents Gatsbys obsession with love and his hopes to reconcile with Daisy which leads to also representing the American Dream, a dream that anyone can defy the life they wish for if they work hard. The green light repre sents money, wealth, power and love, which is everything Gatsby wishes he had to live the American Dream.Secondly, another symbol used to reveal aspects of Jay Gatsbys personality is his mansion. Although Gatsby lives in atomic number 74 lump and lives next to Nick Carraways small eyesore (11) of a home, Nick describes Gatsbys house as a colossal affair by any standard (11) and a factual imitation of some Htel de Ville in Normandy (11). His mansion represents his wealth and even though Gatsby is extremely rich with the money he has earned, he will never obtain his goal to be ranked high enough in society to be a part of the East Egg community with Tom and Daisy Buchanan.Gatsbys mansion also maps his extravagance which is used to gain attention from people of Long Island to prove that he is just as worthy as they are. He throws big parties featuring buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-doeuvres and spiced baked hams (41) and an orchestra with oboes, trombones and saxophon es, and viols and cornets and piccolos (42). All this to prove he was like them. Gatsbys mansion, just like the green light, also represents the American Dream. A life he wish he had.Finally, one other symbol that is exemplified throughout the book is Eggs. The division of the East and West Eggs twenty miles from the city (10) symbolises Gatsbys obsession with increasing his social status. Gatsby lives in West Egg, the less(prenominal) fashionable (10) of the two Eggs. The East Egg is where all the old money is. This is a place where everyone is habituate to their wealthy lifestyle, being born into rich families, refined and are all socially conscious. The West Egg is where the new money is and where everything is over the top and flashy. Despite the fact that Gatsby lives in West Egg, he aspires to be accepted into the East Egg Society by flaunting his wealth.In conclusion, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many symbols in The Great Gatsby to reveal significant aspects of the central chara cter, Jay Gatsbys, personality. The green light signifies jealousy, envy, hope and the American Dream while Gatsbys mansion demonstrates his want to be something he is not. The division between the Eggs are also important and symbolise Gatsbys obsession in climbing the social ladder.Works CitedFitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Penguin Books London, England, 1950.