English & American
Literature
LECTURER: CALUM LEATHAM UNIT 6
Todays Seminar
Part 1 Part 2
Symbols Themes
The Great Gatsby Review TGG Discussion
Symbolism Opening Discussion
Think of a symbol within any of the works we have
examined and what it might represent.
Every group needs two examples of symbolism.
Symbolism
A Symbol is a person, object or event that
suggests/represents more than its literal meaning.
Conventional symbols are widely accepted and
understood symbol that represents a specific idea or
concept within a cultural or literary context.
Literary Symbols are elements of a narrative (Character
actions, objects, names…) that have both a literal
significance while suggesting other meanings.
Symbols are typically intentionally placed and crafted
to be noticeable.
They allow the author to suggest complex ideas with
less words (Say more with less).
Symbolism
Symbols are NOT allegories:
Allegories do not serve literal functions and
typically do not have multiple meanings.
An allegory is there to only demonstrate an
abstract the idea the author wishes the
reader to understand.
Pathetic fallacy can be a symbol
Emotions & moods of characters are often reflected
within the weather described in each scene.
The Great Gatsby
Written in 1920s “Roaring Twenties” America:
Consumer Culture: Mass production techniques & credit from banks, allowed more Americans to afford
consumer goods such as automobiles, radios, and household appliances. The widespread adoption of
advertising rose at this time.
The Jazz Age: The 1920s is often associated with the Jazz Age, a period of vibrant cultural and artistic
expression.
The Age of War: Following the end of World War I, the United States experienced a period of economic
prosperity. There was also hope but also melancholy over what had happened during the war.
Women's Suffrage: The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote. Women (and
other groups_ were gaining more independence in this period both politically and socially as America moved
towards more liberal ideas.
Prohibition: in 1920, Alcohol was prohibited. You couldn’t manufacture, sale, and transport alcoholic
beverages. This led to the rise of speakeasies (illegal bars), bootlegging, and organized crime. The Prohibition
era fueled a sense of rebellion and defiance against social norms.
Symbolism within TGG
What is your review of The Great Gatsby?
What symbolism did you find within The Great Gatsby?
Each Group must pick their favourite piece of symbolism
and give the movie (or book) a review out of 10 (with an
explanation).
Symbolism in TGG
The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg – Chapter 2 Page 20
A bout half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs
beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley
of ashes — a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens;
where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent
effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of
gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately
the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their
obscure operations from your sight. But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift
endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.
J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic — their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead,
from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag
of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down
himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many
paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.
Symbolism in TGG
The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg
A bout half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad Colour emphasised is gray.
and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate The land is seen as desolate,
area of land. This is a valley of ashes — a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into representing corruption and
ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and the fall of Americas morals.
chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move The eyes are often seen as a
dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars
crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and symbol of a god-like figure
immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable watching over the characters,
cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight. But above the gray land judging their actions.
and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, The eyes could represent
the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic illusions and deception – the
— their irises are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of eyes see through the
enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag characters lies.
of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then
sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes,
The eyes are faded, possibly by
dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn a business that no longer
dumping ground. exists. This might represent the
failure of the American Dream.
Symbolism in TGG
Pg - 7
Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water, and
the history of the summer really begins on the evening I drove over there to have dinner with
the Tom Buchanans. Daisy was my second cousin once removed, and I’d known Tom in college.
And just after the war I spent two days with them in Chicago.
Pg - 9
The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young
women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white, and
their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short
flight around the house. I must have stood for a few moments listening to the whip and snap of
the curtains and the groan of a picture on the wall. Then there was a boom as Tom Buchanan
shut the rear windows and the caught wind died out about the room, and the curtains and the
rugs and the two young women ballooned slowly to the floor.
Symbolism in TGG
Pg - 7
Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered Colours are used throughout
along the water, and the history of the summer really begins on the evening much of TGG to represent
I drove over there to have dinner with the Tom Buchanans. Daisy was my mood, characters but also for
second cousin once removed, and I’d known Tom in college. And just after ironic reasons.
the war I spent two days with them in Chicago. White is often associated with
Pg - 9 purity and innocence.
Daisy could be viewed as
The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch innocent or pure in her white
on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored dress (almost angelic) but the
balloon. They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and irony is this colour conceals her
fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around true self, one of moral
the house. I must have stood for a few moments listening to the whip and corruption.
snap of the curtains and the groan of a picture on the wall. Then there was
a boom as Tom Buchanan shut the rear windows and the caught wind died
out about the room, and the curtains and the rugs and the two young
women ballooned slowly to the floor.
Symbolism in TGG
Pg. – 29- 30
“The only CRAZY I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s
best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was
out. ‘oh, is that your suit?’ I said. ‘this is the first I ever heard about it.’ But I gave it to him and then I lay down
and cried to beat the band all afternoon.”
----
“My dear,” she cried, “I’m going to give you this dress as soon as I’m through with it. I’ve got to get another
one to-morrow. I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get. A massage and a wave, and a collar for
the dog, and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow
for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer. I got to write down a list so I won’t forget all the things I got to do.”
Symbolism in TGG
Pg. – 29- 30
“The only CRAZY I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed
somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day
when he was out. ‘oh, is that your suit?’ I said. ‘this is the first I ever heard about it.’ But I gave it to him and
then I lay down and cried to beat the band all afternoon.”
----
“My dear,” she cried, “I’m going to give you this dress as soon as I’m through with it. I’ve got to get another
one to-morrow. I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get. A massage and a wave, and a collar for
the dog, and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow
for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer. I got to write down a list so I won’t forget all the things I got to do.”
Themes
Theme is the overall underlying message or central idea that
the author conveys using elements from their narrative.
Sometimes it is explicitly obvious, other times it requires careful
examination of the work.
Sometimes the theme is based around morals (don’t be a bad
person) but not always.
Not all themes are clear, sometimes they can be ambiguous (don’t
be a bad person, maybe).
Not all narratives have a focus on theme – while a theme could be
extracted from most works, some authors have little or no theme in
mind as they write their works. (Comedies, Horror or Adventure)
Themes: How to extract them?
Step 1: Examine the title of the story – typically provides a lead to the main symbol or subject of the
narrative.
Step 2: Look for details within the narrative such as symbolism. What message does the author try
to present overall with these symbols?
Step 3: Decide if the main character has a change in character or opinion by the end of the story or
gains a new insight – this might be the theme.
Step 4: When you are trying to understand the theme, try writing it out in one or two complete
sentences. Remember the subject of the story is not always the theme.
Step 5: The theme should be a generalised statement rather than a specific description of one or
more characters in the narrative.
Step 6: Be careful of clichés. The good ol’ “Being evil is bad” might be tempting but when you think
about the clues the theme could be ambiguous or have more depth.
Themes - TGG
Using the 6 steps on the previous slide, within your
groups, discover what you think is the main theme of
TGG.
Every group should have a complete 1-2 sentence
description of the theme.
Extra Activates:
Research & Analyze: Harlem Renaissance & Langston
Hughes.
Read: Reading Poetry Pg. 505
