Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

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Valley of ashes, a fallen clock, a yellow car. These all symbolize death, the end of something, and the beginning of consequence; the theme of our blood stained,love tale, death. In the Great Gatsby the specific theme is death, whether it be death of a name and a rebirth of another, the death of a marriage, to the physical death of persons, death is everywhere in the novel. The word ash has a variety of different meanings. The Merriam- Webster Dictionary states that ash is “a solid material that is left when burned”;“the remains of the dead human body after cremation or disintegration”. Not only is ash an after effect of fire but it is a tree that is similar to the olive tree. In ancient times the Romans would use olive branches at a funeral to…show more content…
“His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantle piece clock”.(pg 86). He who is has his head on the clock is Gastby, this is the first re-union of him and Daisy for more than five years. The stage is set to Nick's small cottage, it has been pouring all day long. “ Luckily the clock took a moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head; whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back into place”(pg86). Gatsby literally almost broke time. “ I think we all believed for a moment that it and smashed in pieces on the floor”(pg87). The time that was lost when Gatsby left for war was detrimental to the time, emphasis on time, that him and Daisy spent together. The clock is bumped off the wall, and is caught by Gatsby. He catches time and is trying to fix time between him and Daisy. Time that is dead. During that time and that waiting for eachother, they died inside. Daisy married Tom and then she was as lifeless as a corpse at the morgue. As soon as Jay Gatsby received word of Daisy’s engagement he died. That time that was lost internally killed both of

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