Thing
Rain
Clock
Literal Function
 Wet
 Makes mud, puddles, cleans
things away; washes away
dirt/much
 “bad” gloomy weather,
storm, turbulent, sometimes
violent
 New beginnings, helps
things grow
 Stopped raining, sunshine
comes out
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Grass
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Gatsby
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Keeps time
Broken, doesn’t function
Decorative, only there to
look nice
Falls, smashes on the floor
Gatsby catches it/saves it
Grows
No matter how much you try
to control it it will always be
out of control at some point
Cut = fresh start
Covers dirt
Muddy swamps =
imperfections
Pale as death
Hands in pockets
Plunged like weights
Standing in a puddle
“literally glowed”
Symbolic Function
Tone Page #
 Relationship could be
sad
 Puddles =
imperfections,
slippery, dangerous,
unexpected, unwanted
 New beginning and
opportunity for
growth
 Stops = relationship
will persevere, has a
chance
 Lost time, stuck in the
past, for show, falling =
doomed, think it
“smashes” to pieces,
Gatsby never moved
on
 Can be fixed with time,
can be repaired,
catching = Gatsby
saving the relationship
 Lost time, stuck in the
past = can’t start from
where it stopped
 Relationship is broken
 Can be fixed with time
 Can be repaired
 Can save the
relationship
 Death = relationship
will die
 Hands in pockets =
holding on to the past
 Weights in water =
sink
 Glowing =
hope/change