F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- Fitzgerald Great Gatsb

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, there is a constant feeling of movement and the desire to get away. Nick, Gatsby, Wilson, Tom and Daisy all move, or have the intention of moving. Not only does this movement seem to foreshadow events in the book, but it also seems to lead to the conclusion that society as a whole in the 1920's was rather unstable and was undergoing constant change. Not all the characters move in the same way, and this shows how different their backgrounds and lifestyles are. The main movement seems to be from west to east. Throughout the decades man is said to be progressing through the steps of evolution and toward the setting sun, or east to west. The characters move in opposite direction from which the sun sets, which seems significant to the physical and psychological patterns of the characters. The two main characters that movement affects are Nick and Gatsby. The movement of Nick and Gatsby in this direction shows us how their personalities and feelings change as the sun goes down. There are also the various meanings that the sun has, that seems to map out, or affect their near future. The sun foreshadows Nick and Gatsby's actions and emotions, which in turn are affected by the many representations the sun has. Jay Gatsby is a character that the sun affects in such a way that it becomes a symbol of his ability to direct his will and, when put together with his dream, this gives him a sense of purpose. Jimmie Gatz was born in a town in Minnesota. After changing his name to Jay Gatsby, he moved to West Egg, Long Island in order to start a new life revolved around impressing Daisy. Here the sun represents a psychological belie... ...nd that they, "had never, all along, intended doing anything at all. But it was done now. It was too late."(139) Just as the colors begin to bloom in the dazzling night sky they fade and disappear out of sight, just as Nick moves away. The rising sun has been used to describe progress and evolution, but as the sun travels backwards, it shows people for who they really are. The light is shone hard on the characters, so much so that they have nothing to hide behind. This minor action seems to set and change the entire novel at the same time. It also fits in perfectly with the flow or plot of the book. It shows how the characters are slowly opening up to their surroundings, and how much the sun, metaphorically, affects them. Throughout the novel, the sun has shone light on certain characters to show the power and hidden creativity of the unconscious mind.