The Great Gatsby is one of the most read pieces of literature in today's modern Western world. High school kids everywhere need to learn and read it as part of their curriculum. One of the aspects that makes this novel so remarkable is that Fitzgerald, at no point in the story, needs to convey the theme of his novel directly to his audience. The main points of his novel are highlighted by the powerful symbols he infuses into the book. Not only does he use them to convey his theme, but he also connects them to the rest of the story. Every aspect of this book is influenced by the presence of one of its symbols. Through the use of green light, Dr. TJ Eckleburg's eyes, and the Valley of Ashes as symbols, Fitzgerald is able to both develop plot and character and convey his theme throughout the novel. The first symbol brought to the attention of the reader character of The Great Gatsby is the green light that Nick Carraway sees Gatsby achieving at the end of the first chapter (Fitzgerald 21). This light appears ominously at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock. Fitzgerald uses this light to symbolize Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. Since Gatsby's main purpose in life is to win Daisy back, him reaching this light symbolizes that Gatsby searches for Daisy and desperately tries to reclaim the passion of their love (68). This pursuit of Daisy also represents the American Dream of the Jazz Age of becoming rich and famous. This effect is shown in chapter 9, when Nick compares the green light to how America, emerging from the ocean, must have appeared to the first settlers of the new nation: “And as the moon rose higher, the non-essential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island......middle of paper......The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald does not interrupt or come out to say anything. He uses indirect characterization both to define his characters and to attribute specific qualities and meanings to his symbols. However, sometimes it doesn't even go that far. Seen through the eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg, it lets the reader infuse their own opinion into the story. It is this ingenious use of symbols that makes this novel as influential and widely studied as it is today. Work cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.