The Great Gatsby Symbolism

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“He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is” (Fitzgerald 161). The film adaptation and the novel share many similarities and differences, however, the portrayal of Gatsby’s death in the movie leaves the impression of Gatsby dying with hope instead of fear in the novel. Although Gatsby’s death does not allow him to end up with Daisy in both the novel and its movie, the film allows Gatsby to die with some hope of getting Daisy back while the novel creates the sense that Gatsby knew Daisy chose Tom over him. In both the novel and movie, Gatsby dies a lonely and pitiful death by George Wilson, who shoots Gatsby because he believes Gatsby slept with and killed …show more content…
Gatsby knows Daisy will not come back to him because “no telephone message arrived” (161). In a way, this quote uses symbolism and imagery because the image of Gatsby looking up to the sky feeling frightened can be pictured very well by a reader, and the grotesque rose symbolizes the love Gatsby has for Daisy. Fitzgerald uses figurative language when using imagery and the grotesque rose as a symbol to prove that Gatsby figures his love for Daisy became grotesque and meaningless, instead of beautiful like roses. Fitzgerald describes “Gatsby himself did not believe it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared” (161). The portrayal of Gatsby’s death creates the sense that Gatsby dies not caring since he realizes Daisy decided to remain with Tom, leading to him feeling hopeless in getting Daisy back. After reading this quote, I feel depressed knowing that the foreshadowing to the impossible possibility of Gatsby and Daisy together actually became true. Even though Daisy always remains selfish in her actions, I never thought she could do something this selfish, leaving Gatsby, the one she loves, and returning back to Tom, the one she loves in Gatsby’s place. This quote is important and significant to the characters and story as a whole because it describes how one can feel frightened after losing hope in dreams or goals, losing loved ones in life, or purpose in