An Analysis of the Symbolic Objects in The Great Gatsby

闫开伦++韦向男

【Abstract】The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest literary documents of the Jazz Age， which profoundly reveals the decadent morality and the disillusionment of the “American Dream”. The employment of symbolism is a prominent feature of this novel. Aiming at revealing the meaning and function of symbolism， this paper analyzes the symbolic objects in this novel.

【Key words】symbolism； American Dream； objects

1. Introduction

F. Scott Fitzgerald is an extraordinary writer in American literary circle. The Great Gatsby is the best showcase of his brilliant writing skills， which vividly depicts a picture of the bustling “Jazz Age” society and profoundly reveals the frenzy desire for fame and money of people living in that age. The present paper analyzes the symbolic objects in this novel to demonstrate functions of symbolism.

2. Literature Review on The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby receives much criticism made from the traditional point of view. Those critics view the literary fiction as an object of knowledge or a container of message through which people know the history and social background of the particular age. However， lots of reviews have been focused on the theme of this novel. Zhang （2010） considered it as the procession of roaring American Dream， prosperous American Dream and weak American Dream. He （2010） regarded it as displaying a dramatization of the betrayal of the naive American Dream. Additionally， many scholars have explored the employment of symbolism in this novel （Wang， 2011； Xu， 2013； Jiang， 2016）.

3. The Symbolic Objects in The Great Gatsby

It is not difficult to find objects with symbolic meanings in literary works. In The Great Gatsby， Fitzgerald implants his moral values in such objects as Gatsbys house， the book， and the music.

3.1 Gatsbys House

As Owl Eyes has described， Gatsbys mansion is a house of cards， “if one brick was removed the whole library was liable to collapse” （Fitzgerald， 2008， p.38）. It is bound to get rotten inside and collapse one day. Gatsbys house represents his economic achievement and the partial realization of his American Dream. However， it is at this house that he meets his doom， so the house also symbolizes the failure of Gatsbys dream.

3.2 The Book

Book is a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. The type of book a person likes shows his spiritual pursuit and his outlook on life. In The Great Gatsby， Nick， Tom and Gatsby all have the habit of collecting books. Their books symbolize their different spiritual pursuits. Nick has a dozen volumes on banking and credit and investment securities. These books represent his spiritual pursuit for success and money. Tom likes the book The Rise of the Colored Empire， which is a powerful symbol of his arrogance and racism and represents his egoistic spiritual pursuit. Gatsbys books serve as a means to gain social recognition and symbolize his determination and aspiration to raise his social position.

3.3 The Music

Music is a symbol of life and emotions and combines the abstractness of feelings and the concreteness of rhythm. In The Great Gatsby， the music symbolizes the characters spiritual pursuits and destinies. The music that Gatsby loves symbolizes his vanity and eagerness to be recognized. Mendelssohns Wedding March， the music of love and marriage， on the other hand， implies the tragic ending of the story and symbolizes the collapse of the characters dreams.

4. Conclusion

Fitzgerald reveals the collapse of the American Dream in an era of material excess and unprecedented prosperity in The Great Gatsby. A large number of symbolic objects are employed to expose the spiritual world of characters and to reveal the theme of this novel. Systematical discussion of such symbols can get readers to appreciate the subtlety of symbolism and facilitate their understanding of the profound theme.

References：

[1]Fitzgerald，F.S.（2008）.The great Gatsby.Shanghai：Shanghai World Book Publishing Company.

[2]He，F.（2010）.Symbolic significance of the setting in The great Gatsby.The Youth Writers，9，33-35.

[3]Zhang，C.（2010）.The symbolism in The great Gatsby.Charming China，35，369-369.

作者簡介：

闫开伦（1994-）， 男， 河北迁安人， 西安交通大学 外国语学院 2016级外国语言文学专业硕士研究生。

韦向男（1994-）， 女， 河北迁安人， 西安外国语大学 高级翻译学院 2016级翻译硕士研究生。