in The Great Gatsby
A symbol is something such as an object,
picture, written word, sound, or particular
mark that represents something else by
association, resemblance, or convention.
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11.
Nick’s career vs. Gatsby’s
Colors
career
1. the green light
2. the colors silver and gold
unread books
3. the color white
Valley of Ash
the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg
Rain
Dan Cody
East vs. West Egg
Heat
Wolfsheim’s cufflinks,
Gatsby’s faded timetable,
Gatsby’s car and clothing.
The first time we see Gatsby, he is standing in his yard
reaching out for a green light on Daisy’s dock. What
could this green light symbolize for him? What could
the color green itself symbolize?
Gatsby made his money as a bootlegger while Nick
made his money as a bondsman. Compare these two
jobs. What is symbolic of each job and what it takes to
achieve success in each career?
With what you comprehend thus far in the novel, what
could the valley of ash symbolize? Who lives in the
Valley? What events occur in the Valley?
There is a point in chapter four where Daisy is
taken through Gatsby’s house and he shows her
his wardrobe. When Daisy sees all of Gatsby’s
silver and gold colored shirts, she begins to cry.
What about these shirts made her cry? What do
the colors silver and gold symbolize?
The eyes of Dr. TJ
Eckleburg look
down upon the
Valley of Ash. What
could these eyes
symbolize? Keep in
mind who they are
looking over and
what events occur
before them.
What do owls symbolize? What about large
glasses? Or magnifying glasses? Place these
together. What could the owl-eyed man be
symbolic of (think about this in terms of
Gatsby’s life)?
DAN CODY
Who is Dan Cody?
How was he
important to
Gatsby’s life? What
is he symbolic of in
terms of an
influence to
Gatsby?
Gatsby has a library of untouched books. None
of them have been read. Why are these books
important to Gatsby?
What does the color white symbolize? Who
is wearing white the first time we are
introduced to them? How is this
appropriate?
This is one of the most interesting symbols in the novel. What
could these cufflinks made of molars symbolize? What words
could you use to describe these cufflinks if you saw them on
someone in public? Think about the character that is wearing
them: a powerful, wealthy, Jewish man. Is he refined? Where
would he belong, West egg or East Egg?
In Chapter Nine, Gatsby’s father finds a faded timetable in his
book. This timetable outlined the events of his day including:
rise from bed, dumbbell exercises, study electricity, work,
baseball and sports, poise and how to attain it, study needed
inventions….
With your understanding of Gatsby’s character, what could this
timetable symbolize?
In chapter seven, the characters are faced with
a day of intense heat. What can heat
symbolize? What effect can heat have on
people?
East Egg vs. West Egg
What is symbolic in the differences between old
money and new money? How does new money vs.
old money allow people to “clean up” their messes?
Red:
.
energy, passion, love, speed, strength, heat,
fire, blood, war, violence, danger
Pink:
love, romance, and excitement
Ivory:
unification, quiet, pleasant, calm and simple
Yellow:
joy, betrayal, hope, sunshine, dishonesty,
jealousy, illness, gold, hazard
Blue:
peace, cold, calm, unity, truth, confidence,
security, cleanliness, loyalty, sky, water,
depression, appetite supressent
Turquoise:
sophistication, water, calmness
Purple:
royalty, spirituality, mysterious,
enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning.
Lavender:
femininity, grace, elegance

Orange:
energy, balance, warmth, vibrant,
flamboyant, demanding of attention

Green:
nature, environment, healthy, renewal,
youth, generosity, fertility, inexperience,
envy, misfortune, vigor.

Brown:
earth, hearth, outdoors, reliability,
comfort, endurance, and comfort.

Grey:
intelligence, modesty, dignity, maturity,
solid, practical, old age, sadness, boring,
calm

White:
reverence, purity, birth, simplicity,
cleanliness, peace, precision,
innocence, youth, winter, good,
sterility, marriage, death, cold.
Black:
power, sexuality,
sophistication, formality,
elegance, wealth, mystery,
fear, evil, unhappiness, depth,
style, evil, sadness, remorse,
anger, underground,
mourning, death