Symbols
The eyes of Doctor T .J. Eckleburg
The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are seen as the eyes of God in Wilson's mind. The billboard with the advertisement containing the eyes looks over a desolate wasteland and is created by an oculist who has a desire to make money. Because the eyes are linked with God, the above fact is proof that God no longer exists to the people as a spiritual figure but as an empty use for advertisement.
Plaza Hotel
The earlier encounters of Tom and Gatsby have been either at Tom's house or Gatsby's house. The Plaza Hotel symbolizes neutral ground. This neutral ground allows both men to openly argue heatedly.
"Mendelssohn's Wedding March"
The wedding march that can be heard in the hotel room from the reception below serves to imply the irony of Tom's accusation of Gatsby breaking up his marriage. It also symbolizes the marriage problems that Tom and Daisy are
experiencing due to their affairs.
Gatsby's "Drug Stores"
The mention of Gatsby's drug stores by Tom is placed in the argument between Gatsby and Tom to convey the distinctions of wealth. The fact that Gatsby has amassed his fortune by bootlegging shows that he is a "new rich" and has
only recently come about vast wealth. This is contrasted with the "traditional wealth" of the Buchanans whose family has been wealthy for some time. This is the one insurmountable obstacle separating Gatsby and Daisy. Financially, they are similar, but socially they are from two different worlds.
Gatsby's Pink Suit
The pink suit that Gatsby wears symbolizes the fact that he is a "new rich" and his advertisement of his newfound material wealth. The pink suit suggests that Gatsby, because he is a "new rich," lacks the tradition often found with the inherited rich and therefore is vulgar.
Nick's 30th Birthday
Nick suddenly realizes that it is his thirtieth birthday in the midst of the argument between Tom and Gatsby. At first the realization of his birthday may seem irrelevant, but in fact it symbolizes the passage of youth into adulthood. This realization occurs during the argument in which Gatsby loses his youthful dream of reuniting with Daisy.
Gatsby's Vigil
The vigil Gatsby holds outside Daisy and Tom's house at the end of the chapter holds an important symbolic significance. Gatsby's vigil is held over an empty room, representing the dream he has built around an empty person.
Chapter Seven