Symbolism in the Great Gatsby Symbolism is what makes a story complete. In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald skillfully uses symbolism. Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather to the colors of the clothes worn by the characters. There are three main symbols used in The Great Gatsby: the East and West egg, the green light at the end of Daisy's pier, and the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg. One of the most important symbols in the novel is class and social position. It's like a barrier for almost all the characters. East and WestEggs serve as a symbol of this due to its physical composition. Tom and Daisy live in the East, which is much more refined and made up of people with more money and higher social status. East Egg also represents the "old money". Nick and Gatsby are in the West, which is for people who have no real position, even if they have money. The West Egg represents the “new money”. The green light shines from the East Egg to the West Egg, drawing Gatsby to what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman Gatsby always wanted but never got, lives in East Egg. There is also a barrier of water between the two cities that keeps people like Daisy and Gatsby apart and prevents them from achieving their goals and what they want in life. Another symbol used in the novel was colors. The first was the green light. The light was just a light, however for Gatsby it becomes his dream for the future. The light symbolizes hope and dreams. The dream is Daisy. Gatsby buys the house across the bay so he can see Buchanan's light. Later in the story, when Gatsby has Daisy, the importance of light decreases. The color yellow in the story often represents death. Myrtledies after being hit by a yellow car. Another example of yellow representing death is the scene just before Gatsby enters the pool: “He shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees” (Fitzgerald 169). This shows that he was dying just like the leaves on the tree were. The last symbol used in the story is the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg. Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, they are simply seen as an inexplicable object. image, as they stare into the valley of ashes. The eyes could mean anything to the observer, but they often make them