In the novel The Great Gatsby , there are three themes that direct the book. Fitzgerald ties symbolism several times in the novel in order to fully understand the dialogues, settings, and actions. The use of time, appearance/personality, and perspective are consistently addressed and are significant in many parts of the novel.
The word time appears great magnitude in the novel as it is obvious that Fitzgerald wanted to emphasize the importance of it. Gatsby’s relationship with time is a major focal point in the plot. He wishes to erase five years from not only his life, but also his lover Daisy Buchanan. When Nick, the narrator, tells Gatsby he cannot repeat the past, his response is very symbolic in that it shows the irony behind Gatsby’s fate. Gatsby quotes, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”(110). Gatsby is so caught up in his own world that he cannot face the true reality. Another time that Fitzgerald incorporates time into the novel is when Gatsby and Daisy meet for the first time in five years. As Gatsby leans on a mantelpiece he begins to rest his head on a clo…
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