Symbols, Sightings and Imagery
Gatsby's Clothes: "Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold coloured tie, hurried in" (84). The white represents the innocence and purity he posesses in his efforts of persuading Daisy to fall in love with him again. The gold and silver are representative of his opulent wealth, which may also be in effort to impress Daisy, as well as symbolizing the corruption brought upon by his wealth.
The Weather: When Gatsby comes to meet Daisy at Nick's house, the weather is reflective of his emotions. Upon entering the house the weather is rainy and grey, and Gatsby is nervous and down in spirits insisting that this meeting is "a terrible, terrible mistake" (87). Daisy and Gatsby are left alone and shy when Nick leaves, however when he comes back, Nick finds that Gatsby is "literally glow(ing)", seemingly reconnecting his relationship with Daisy (89). Upon Nick's return, he also informs Gatsby that "it's stopped raining", symbolizing their love reawakens just as the suns comes out.
Gatsby's Room: While touring Gatsby's house Nick notices that "his bedroom is the simplest room of all" (91). Gatsby's house is reflective of Gatsby's flamboyant exterior persona put on to attract the likes and approval of Daisy, as well as the image he conveys to the rest of the world. However, his room is simple because it is only seen by him, reflecting who he truly is. It illustrates that Gatsby is truly content without wealth, but his luxurious lifestyle and wealth is all a performance for Daisy.
English Shirts: Gatsby, has "a man in England who buys (his) clothes" (92). He then began throwing piles of shirts before Nick and Daisy. They both seem to admire these shirts, "shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel" (92). These shirts symbolize extreme luxury and wealth, but it also foreshadows Daisy's change from purity to corruption.
The Green Light: Gatsby exclaims to Daisy that she "always (has) a green light thay burns all night at the end of (her) dock" (92). "Possible it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever" (93). For Gatsby the green light symbolized a beacon of hope in that one day he would regain his relationship with Daisy. Every night he would stand at the dock and reach for the green light, as if reaching for her. Now that she is in front of him, in touching distance, he feels that in this moment he has achieved his dream.
Clock: During tea with Gatsby and Daisy, while Gatsby was staring at Daisy in disbelief, he was "reclining against the mantlepiece" that "his head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantlepiece clock" that "the clock took (that) moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place" (86). Gatsby's clumsiness with the clock is symbolic. He knocks over time just as he tries to recreate his past with Daisy. It also symbolizes the end of the growth of Gatsby's dream.
Gatsby's Clothes: "Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold coloured tie, hurried in" (84). The white represents the innocence and purity he posesses in his efforts of persuading Daisy to fall in love with him again. The gold and silver are representative of his opulent wealth, which may also be in effort to impress Daisy, as well as symbolizing the corruption brought upon by his wealth.
The Weather: When Gatsby comes to meet Daisy at Nick's house, the weather is reflective of his emotions. Upon entering the house the weather is rainy and grey, and Gatsby is nervous and down in spirits insisting that this meeting is "a terrible, terrible mistake" (87). Daisy and Gatsby are left alone and shy when Nick leaves, however when he comes back, Nick finds that Gatsby is "literally glow(ing)", seemingly reconnecting his relationship with Daisy (89). Upon Nick's return, he also informs Gatsby that "it's stopped raining", symbolizing their love reawakens just as the suns comes out.
Gatsby's Room: While touring Gatsby's house Nick notices that "his bedroom is the simplest room of all" (91). Gatsby's house is reflective of Gatsby's flamboyant exterior persona put on to attract the likes and approval of Daisy, as well as the image he conveys to the rest of the world. However, his room is simple because it is only seen by him, reflecting who he truly is. It illustrates that Gatsby is truly content without wealth, but his luxurious lifestyle and wealth is all a performance for Daisy.
English Shirts: Gatsby, has "a man in England who buys (his) clothes" (92). He then began throwing piles of shirts before Nick and Daisy. They both seem to admire these shirts, "shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel" (92). These shirts symbolize extreme luxury and wealth, but it also foreshadows Daisy's change from purity to corruption.
The Green Light: Gatsby exclaims to Daisy that she "always (has) a green light thay burns all night at the end of (her) dock" (92). "Possible it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever" (93). For Gatsby the green light symbolized a beacon of hope in that one day he would regain his relationship with Daisy. Every night he would stand at the dock and reach for the green light, as if reaching for her. Now that she is in front of him, in touching distance, he feels that in this moment he has achieved his dream.
Clock: During tea with Gatsby and Daisy, while Gatsby was staring at Daisy in disbelief, he was "reclining against the mantlepiece" that "his head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantlepiece clock" that "the clock took (that) moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place" (86). Gatsby's clumsiness with the clock is symbolic. He knocks over time just as he tries to recreate his past with Daisy. It also symbolizes the end of the growth of Gatsby's dream.