The Great Gatsby
Water Symbolism
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An important aspect of Fitzgerald's complex symbolism is his use of water imagery. Water can be interpreted in many different ways but it is usually seen as representing hopelessness and despair. Water is used sparingly in this book but it portrays an important message when incorporated. There are three instances when water is mentioned. It is used when Gatsby and Daisy meet alone for the first time, when Gatsby is murdered by the angry Wilson, and at Gatsby's poorly attended funeral. |
The Tea Party
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Gatsby forces Nick to set up a meeting between him and Daisy so they can catch up on old times. The day they decide to meet happens to be overcast. The rain pours down all morning and is predicted by The Journal to stop around four o'clock. The early downpour creates a false sense of security and forewarns them that their happiness will be short lived. At three thirty, the rain settles into a damp mist to welcome the arrival of Daisy. It continues to rain during the entire visit and when Daisy prepares to leave, the rain stops. Despite the happy mood formed on the surface of the chapter, the persistent feeling of death and despair prevails. The rain hinders the blossoming love of Daisy and Gatsby while foretelling the gloomy abandonment they will soon face. This is the first appearance of water in The Great Gatsby< and sets up the next two aquatic scenes. |
Watery Death
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At two o'clock Gatsby puts on his bathing suit and starts the march to his death. He stops by the garage to pick up his pneumatic mattress but refuses help from a kind chauffeur. This mimics the march of Jesus Christ's carrying His cross of burden up to Golgotha. He carries the plastic burden of his friend's sin down to his death. Gatsby, floating in his sea of despair, finally realizes his efforts to win Daisy are in vain. He is so distraught by being abandoned that he does not notice Mr. Wilson creeping through the woods ready to attack. Gatsby is murdered around four o'clock in the afternoon, the same time he met Daisy for the first time. Wilson represents the accumulation of people's jealousy and hate for Gatsby and takes Gatsby's life as well as his own. When Gatsby's body is discovered, there is barely any movement in the water. The pool of water continues its everlasting drifting from the fountain to the drain and then back again. A cluster of leaves from a tree periodically dips into the water creating red, circular ripples. Both the flow of water and the bloody ripples in the pool exhibit Fitzgerald's belief of eternal life and explain how Gatsby is perceived as an innocent individual who, like Jesus Christ, voluntarily gives up his life so the sins of others may be forgiven. |
The Funeral
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The poorly attended funeral of Jay Gatsby is set in a dreary downpour. Everyone attending the funeral is soaked to the skin and splashing through the deep water. Gatsby is almost entirely abandoned. He only has a priest, Nick, Owl Eyes and his remaining servants. The rain continues to fall on the loyal visitors while they contemplate why they are the only attendees. Someone is heard to murmur "blessed are the dead that the rain falls on." The bleak downpour creates an abandoned feeling throughout the funeral description. The only other rain scene described in the book is during the lunch meeting between Gatsby and Daisy. This is a symbol for the inevitable abandonment of companionship between Daisy and Gatsby as is the funeral scene is a symbol for the abandonment of friendship between Gatsby and his partying acquaintances. Although this scene is Gatsby's funeral, the actual burial and service are not described. Most of the chapter is centered around the dreary rain and the strong sense of desertion. |
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Water is used several times to create certain moods and suggest ideas. Rain at Daisy and Gatsby's reunion creates a feeling of despair and foretells the perilous fate of their relationship. The final hours of Gatsby's life are spent in his unused swimming pool. The endless flow of water and water ripples instill the thought of eternal life for Gatsby. The pure downpour during his funeral displays the abandonment and despair during his entire life. Colors and objects display the message of Fitzgerald, but water imagery is an equally essential tool in the development of the book's mood and theme. |
Pool graphic courtesy of Waide's Pools and Spas
Page created on March 5,1999.Curator:Christian James