Thinking Activity: The Great Gatsby; Exploration of Symbolism, Character, and Adaptation

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my blog,This Task given by Prof. Dilip Barad sir, The very great classical Novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, In This blog explores the important parts of The Great Gatsby, like the meaning of its famous cover picture and the thoughts and feelings of Jay Gatsby. We will also look at symbols like the green light and Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes, how rich and poor people are treated differently, and how the 2013 movie is different from the book, For more information Click here.

In this blog cover 5 questions of the Novel

1) Symbol Significance of the Book Cover

2) Jay Gatsby's Character

3) Faithfulness of Luhrmann’s Film Adaptation to the Novel

4) Symbolism of the Green Light and the Billboard Eyes

5) The American Dream and Class Conflict

1. The Symbolic Significance of the Book Cover Art

The cover art of The Great Gatsby is more than just an aesthetic choice; it visually encapsulates the novel’s core themes. One of the most iconic covers, Celestial Eyes (1925) by Francis Cugat, features a haunting disembodied face hovering over a cityscape, with glowing eyes and a carnival-like Ferris wheel. This surreal imagery mirrors the novel’s themes of illusion, decadence, and the fractured American Dream.

Eyes and Vision: The piercing eyes on the cover evoke the omnipresent billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, symbolizing moral decay and the decline of spiritual values in a materialistic society. They also reflect Gatsby’s obsessive gaze toward Daisy and the green light.

Color Palette: The combination of gold and green suggests wealth (gold) and aspiration (green), while darker tones hint at corruption and inevitable tragedy.

Floating Imagery: The fragmented, dreamlike composition represents Gatsby’s unstable identity and the ephemeral nature of his dreams.

The cover art, much like the novel itself, invites readers to look beyond the surface glamour and confront the emptiness beneath.

2. Understanding Jay Gatsby’s Character: Shame, Guilt, and Grief

Jay Gatsby is a paradox—a self-made millionaire chasing a past that never truly existed. His character is defined by deep psychological complexities.

The Myth of Self-Invention: Gatsby’s transformation from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby represents his desire to escape poverty and shame. His extravagant parties and fabricated identity are attempts to erase his humble origins.

Shame and Guilt: Gatsby’s shame stems from his impoverished past and illegal dealings (bootlegging). His guilt is tied to Daisy’s abandonment and his indirect role in Myrtle’s death. His grief over losing Daisy transforms into an obsessive quest to rewrite history.

The Childlike Romantic: Gatsby’s fixation on the green light and his belief that “the past can be repeated” reveal his tragic naivety. He idealizes Daisy, projecting his dreams onto her rather than seeing her as she truly is.

Gatsby’s tragedy lies in his inability to reconcile his idealized self with reality—a theme closely aligned with Freudian concepts of repression and displacement.

3. Faithfulness of Luhrmann’s Film Adaptation to the Novel

Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby is a visually extravagant interpretation that takes creative liberties while staying true to some of the novel’s core elements.

Faithful Elements

Plot Structure: The film retains key plot points, including Gatsby’s lavish parties, his affair with Daisy, and the climactic confrontation.

Symbolism: The adaptation amplifies symbols like the green light and Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes, maintaining their thematic significance.

Divergences

Tone and Style: The novel’s critique of excess is overshadowed by Luhrmann’s hyper-stylized, modernized approach, particularly through the use of contemporary music. This shifts the focus from moral decay to spectacle.

Character Nuance: While Leonardo DiCaprio captures Gatsby’s charm, the film softens his darker edges, romanticizing his obsession rather than portraying its destructive nature.

Luhrmann’s adaptation prioritizes visual spectacle over Fitzgerald’s subtle social critique, making it a compelling but somewhat flawed interpretation.

4. Symbolism of the Green Light and the Billboard Eyes

 The Green Light

Located at the end of Daisy’s dock, the green light symbolizes Gatsby’s unattainable dreams—wealth, status, and Daisy herself.

It represents the broader American Dream, an illusion that promises fulfillment but ultimately leads to disillusionment.

The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg

The decaying billboard with its giant, watchful eyes serves as a metaphor for the loss of moral accountability in a materialistic world.

It passively observes as characters commit moral transgressions, reflecting society’s indifference to corruption.

Both symbols underscore the novel’s critique of a society blinded by greed and illusion.

5. The American Dream and Class Conflict

The American Dream

Fitzgerald presents the American Dream as a corrupted ideal. Gatsby’s rise from poverty to wealth through illegal means highlights the moral compromises necessary to achieve success. His tragic death signifies the impossibility of transcending social origins in a rigid class hierarchy.

Class Conflict

Old vs. New Rich People: East Egg (Tom and Daisy) represents inherited wealth and elitism, while West Egg (Gatsby) embodies the flashy aspirations of the newly rich. The Valley of Ashes, home to the Wilsons, symbolizes the working class crushed by capitalist excess.

The Triumph of Privilege: Despite Gatsby’s efforts, the old-money elite (Tom and Daisy) remain unscathed, illustrating the systemic inequity that protects those born into privilege.

The novel ultimately condemns the American Dream as an illusion that perpetuates class divisions and moral decay.

Conclusion

The Great Gatsby remains a timeless exploration of ambition, identity, and societal decay. Its symbols from the green light to the vacant eyes of Dr. Eckleburg—serve as poignant reminders of the cost of unchecked desire. While adaptations like Luhrmann’s offer fresh perspectives, Fitzgerald’s original text endures as a scathing critique of the illusions that define the American experience.