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The Great Gatsby Imagery Analysis

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Imagery is a technique that many authors use to help describe situations or objects in their stories. Sometimes imagery can create a gateway to the usage of symbolism, because images are used to describe symbolic items. This is the case for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story, The Great Gatsby. His usage of imagery helps to develop a story that has a more appealing feel for the readers, and to become a descriptive piece of literature. The many types of imagery in this story include eyes, light and dust. These images allow Fitzgerald to emphasize certain aspects of the story in order to construct a better impression to the audience’s minds. One of the most used images in The Great Gatsby is eyes. The often appearance of eyes makes it a fairly …show more content…

An object that represents imagery in this category is the green light at the end of Tom and Daisy’s dock, across the bay from Gatsby’s house. The light is described as, “a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (21). Before this point, Nick tells the readers that Gatsby “stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way” (20). Gatsby’s outstretched arms are symbolic of someone reaching for their dream. In Gatsby’s case, he is trying to grasp his dream of him and Daisy having a future together. In addition to the green light at the Buchanan’s house, across the bay sits Gatsby’s house. His house is extremely large and is lit up when parties take place inside. Just how lights attract moths from far away in the night, Gatsby’s lit up house attracts men and women from unknown places as well. They swarm into his house just like moths do around a lamp in the summertime. In Gatsby’s gardens “men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (39). Light acts like an attracting source to people, animals and insects. When someone or something senses light, they rush to the source. This is exactly the case with Gatsby’s parties and the people who found

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