Christina Rego
Professor Feldstein
English 202
9 November 2011
Discourse and Representation
Symbolism of Gatsby and Daisy’s Bond
As humans we are naturally attracted to other beings, searching for connections and
relationships that may become strong and create comfort for ourselves. We long for love and
acceptance, hoping that those around us will see our worth. It is when humans begin to question
their own worth, transforming themselves into what they believe others wish to see, that they
fall. Changing in order to please another does not guarantee acceptance, so if one fails, one may
become fixated on trying to keep the relationship alive by preserving the connections between
them. These connections are made based on the world around us and how we view it. We create
Comment [R1]: good point of distinction
importance which is associated with certain things and certain people, a view of importance that
is dictated by our surroundings. This may be seen in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great
Gatsby. The story of Jay Gatsby, a man longing for a renewed connection with Daisy Buchanan,
reflects the notion of giving significance to certain objects in order to become closer to another
person. After attempting to transform himself into the type of man Daisy desired, Gatsby finds
Comment [R2]: good point
that with his “new money” status he is still on a different plain than Daisy. In order to keep some
connection between himself and Daisy, Gatsby creates, and gives great worth to, a system of
signs which eventually engulf his entire life, leaving him living according to the power struggle
between himself and Daisy. Eventually, when the signs in his life have dissipated, the true worth
Comment [R3]: good specific aspect of your
thesis
they held becomes apparent though the reaction of his counterparts, especially the reaction of
Comment [R4]: good follow-up point in your
thesis
Daisy, to his unexpected demise.
Comment [R5]: interesting thesis
Gatsby lives in order to become closer to Daisy. Remembering the love they had for one
another five years prior, Gatsby longs to live those times again. However, Daisy is now married,
so Gatsby’s dream becomes a struggle. Throughout his struggle, Gatsby discovers as well as
Comment [R6]: yes, this is a problem
creates a world and a lifestyle for himself. Within this world lies a system a representation, a
system of signs. Turning to Stuart Hall’s writing on “Representation, meaning and language,”
Comment [R7]: here you are developing your
thesis
representation is defined as, “using language to represent something about, or to represent, the
world meaningfully, to other people.” Language is an essential part of human life. Without it
individuals would not be able to communicate ideas, concepts, or meaning to one another. This is
the essence of representation, that it uses language as a medium to convey meaning (Hall). Being
Comment [R8]: excellent use of theory to make
your point
a part of a system of representation means something is a part of a larger whole. It is shaped and
given meaning to depending on the environment it presides in. We view objects, ideals and
people in relation to other objects, ideals and people (Hall). We judge objects in relation to other
opposing objects which creates binaries, a separation between opposites which work to
strengthen our understanding of concepts. For example, it is easier to understand the concept of
hot when it is viewed in relation to cold. By experiencing both and their differences, one is able
to better understand each as their own entity.
In The Great Gatsby a binary exists between the two neighborhoods of West Egg and
East Egg, both representing “new money” and “old money” respectively. These two burrows
represent the separation of class. Gatsby, being a resident of West Egg, is not found to be on the
same level as Daisy, as West Egg is described as “the less fashionable of the two” (Fitzgerald 5).
In his effort to become a successful and wealthy man, what he believes will win Daisy over,
Comment [R9]: well-developed paragraph of
ideas
Comment [R10]: GOOD TRANSITION
BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS: Here you make a
good transition to a related idea in your next
paragraph. Part of writing an essay involves the
ability to link related ideas together from
preceding paragraph to the succeeding
paragraph. The split between paragraphs
indicates a transition from one idea to another
idea. This allows your reader to have a clearer
idea that you have finished developing one idea
and are about to begin to develop a related
concept. It also signals to your reader, through
the spatial conclusion of your paragraph, that
s/he can pause before resuming the reading
process.
Gatsby still finds himself on the other side. In order to create a connection between himself and
Daisy, Gatsby throws extravagant parties which bring together the public of West and East Eggs,
Comment [R11]: yes
in hopes of catching a glimpse of Daisy in attendance. These lavish parties hold meaning as they
are held for a certain reason. This meaning exists apart from the actual occurrence of the party, it
Comment [R12]: comma splice
exists as a sign.
The system of representation uses ideas and images to represent complex ideas. Through
these images or thoughts we are able to create a meaning apart from what the object actually is.
This is the creation of signs. Signs are a part of the system of representation in that they use
language as a way to demonstrate what they symbolize (Hall). A sign is in direct relation to the
object is represents. For example, an ocean is an object, existing without question in the material
world. However, we give an ocean meaning by giving it the name “ocean,” as well as associating
it with certain concepts such as summertime, vastness, or a connector between worlds. When
Comment [R13]: instead of ocean, I’d use a
symbol from the novel, like green light or daisy’s
voice or gatsby’s smile or the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg
hearing the word “ocean,” one conjures up their perspective on the meaning of an ocean, which
becomes the object’s sign. Another way of examining this concept would be to think of an object
such as a house. One may be able to see every room of their home in their mind without even
being present in the structure. This mental representation is a sign. The link between
signs/representation and language is that language is used as a means for understanding. Stating
the word “ocean” to someone who does not speak English will not create the same response in
their mind as it would to an English speaking person. Therefore, language proves to be a key
player when examining objects as signs as well as in interpreting what these objects and signs
represent.
Wishing to mold himself in the perfect man for Daisy, Gatsby creates a new identity for
himself, in more than one manner. He works to become wealthy and known and acts in
Comment [R14]: again: you can do two things
at once – explain the concept and give an example
from the novel
accordance with this new existence. He is living under a new identity since changing his name
from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. While witnessing the rather unsuccessful lives of his parents, at
a young age James Gatz “invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy
would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end” (Fitzgerald 98). This
name change represents a change of character and also holds meaning in relation to language.
Comment [R15]: good point
Gatsby may be seen as a more fluid sounding name than Gatz, which seems rough and sounds
harsh. Would Daisy have fallen in love with a Gatz, rather than a Gatsby? Gatsby may not have
thought so, relating his former name with his parents, people he did not aspire to be like. This
new name holds the prospect for deliverance, and it becomes the person who Daisy falls for. He
Comment [R16]: smart conceptually
keeps this name throughout his life and throughout his fight for Daisy, relating it to his hopes for
success.
With this new name came money, and with money came the increased chance of landing
in Daisy’s path. Throughout the novel objects which represent money appear, one being the
green light. With Gatsby’s house situated on one side of a lake and Daisy’s house on the other,
Gatsby is able to distinguish her house using a green light at the end of her dock. Since it serves
a distinct purpose in Gatsby’s mind, it is a sign. It provides a link, and is not just a physical
object that Gatsby is able to look out and see. However, one may look even deeper and examine
the meaning behind the color of the light. Green may be seen as representing money, an
important theme in the novel. This aspect of the sign shows the influence of money in the
relationship between Gatsby and Daisy, so influential that the color which represents it is
illuminated from outside her home. In addition, the display of Gatsby’s shirts serves as a sign,
representing riches as well. Daisy, upon seeing Gatsby’s beautiful display of shirts, throws
herself at them, realizing that Gatsby has become the man she was expected to be with. The
Comment [R17]: yes
shirts may be seen as representing a veiling of Gatsby, exemplifying that he has been covered
and enveloped by wealth, both figuratively and literally by his clothing.
Through all of these signs, Gatsby is able to represent his life in terms of his dream of
winning over Daisy and the road to this prospect. Gatsby surrounds himself with images of
wealth and affluence in order to appear in the right light for Daisy. These signs hold specific
Comment [R18]: your thesis indicates that he
creates a dream world of signs; now is the time to
show it
meaning to Gatsby and they are organized and have created a way of life for him. This
organization of signs is dictated by an overall discourse. In Stuart Hall’s writing on “Discourse,
power and the subject,” he quotes Michel Foucault in defining discourse as being, “a group of
statements which provides a language for talking about – a way of representing the knowledge
about – a particular topic at a particular historical moment.” Everything is a part of a discourse.
Comment [R19]: cite page
Everything holds some kind of meaning and meaning stems from a certain way of thinking and
viewing the world. Therefore, all practices and beings conduct themselves in accordance with a
particular structure of ideas, a particular discourse. Discourse shapes the way that we think, see
and act and it does so by dictating what is acceptable and what is not (Hall). A common example
of a discourse is Christianity. When one lives as a Christian, one is expected to present
themselves in a manner which coincides with the beliefs and practices of the religion. They see
the world through the eyes of this discourse, making decisions based upon the values of the
discourse. This pattern which “regulate[s] the conducts of others” presents a relationship
between discourse and power (Hall). The discourse holds power over the subject and the subject
holds power through the discourse.
In relation to the field of representation and signs, discourse plays a role in providing a
lens through which individuals creates signs and their meaning. Depending on the discourse
under which one lives, one may find different meaning for different objects. Gatsby is attempting
Comment [R20]: the example should directly
relate to what you are developing: capitalism. That
is the discourse which is crucial here.
to come to one specific end. By striving for this he becomes entrapped by a certain discourse, by
the discourse of capitalism, the distribution of capital among private sectors. He begins to live
Comment [R21]: yes, you got it
under the power of money, the power of capitalism. Money and its powers among people
becomes the center of Gatsby’s life, and he uses it as a way to connect himself with Daisy, who’s
own “voice is full of money” (Fitzgerald 127). Gatsby is a subject of this discourse. He is
preoccupied with attaining enough glamour in order to impress Daisy and he uses the signs of the
Comment [R22]: there you go; now you are
doing two things at once: developing theory at the
same time that you are developing a reading of the
text.
green light, his shirts and his name as ways to exemplify the power that money has over him.
However, through all of this effort, he is unable to win over the heart of Daisy. Both are a part of
the capitalistic discourse and live within the same class, however a separation exists among
them. The binary of old money versus new money is in play, with old money holding favor
among the public. Even though Gatsby has become wealthy, an attribute that is to win over
Daisy, society has created this division which widens the space between them.
This separation shows that the signs and discourse which Gatsby has built his life around
may not be read how he would like them to be. If all went as he would like, Daisy would leave
her life and enter his, just as he planned. But it becomes apparent that everything is open to
interpretation and that “interpretations never produce a final moment of absolute truth. Instead
interpretations are always followed by other interpretations, in an endless chain” (Hall). Daisy
may have created her own image of Gatsby in the past and she is now comparing that image to
Comment [R23]: an excellent theoretical point
that you use to develop your thesis. Very smart
conception here in producing this segue
that of him in the presents. Also, the viewpoints of those around her, and the discourse she lives
under, influence how she sees him. As she begins to learn about his new life her interpretation of
him is forever changing, and therefore she is unable to reach one solid conclusion on him.
Meanwhile, Gatsby is hoping for an undeniable truth, the truth that Daisy “never loved him,”
him being her husband (Fitzgerald 132). But in this case there is not absolute truth because Daisy
Comment [R24]: good point of distinction,
Christina
admits to having loved the both of them. No matter which way Gatsby turns, he is trapped by the
representation and the power of money, and yet he is still unable to reach his goal, he is unable to
win the love of Daisy.
Over time Gatsby has valued his effort to create a bond with Daisy. He took this process
seriously and believed it to be the way to convince Daisy of his love. However, Gatsby did not
recognize that assimilating himself to the lifestyle Daisy follows may not be enough to win her
over. He creates a representational world that is meant to better his physical world, but once his
physical being is lost, so are the signs. The chase is over and the value of these signs may be
questioned. How invested was Daisy, if at all, when examining the fact that she did not attend
Gatsby’s funeral? How real were these signs?
grade = 94: impressive reading that shows your ability to use theory and create a reading
of the novel at the same time as you integrate a reading of the theory.
Comment [R25]: interesting nuanced point
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925. Print.
Hall, Stuart. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (Culture, Media
and Identities Series). Ed. Stuart Hall. 1st ed. London: Open UP; London: Sage, 1997.
Print.