Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

While reading "Semiotics and Television" by Ellen Seiter I learned about signs, symbols, and how each of them have the signifier and the signified. The signifier is what the object actually is and the signified is what it defines or what it represents; for example, Seiter uses rain to portray the differences between them, "On the level of signifier, rain derives its meaning from its from its distinguishability from brain or sprain or rail or Braile or roan or reign. The signified is meaningful because of its difference from sprinkle, drizzle, downpour, monsoon" (Seiter 18). Meaning that rain as a signifier is different because its difference between other objects or words, but rain as the signified is different because it is a distinct thing and signifies only that one thing, it is not drizzle which is light rain nor is it pouring which is a harsher rain, it is just rain itself.

 

 

  

 

 

 

The Great Gatsby the movie is what came to mind while reading this particular article since the article discussed films and the movie has a lot of symbolism within it. One symbol that is portrayed quite well is the symbol of "The Green Light", as a signifier it is just a green light which makes it different from a blue light or red light or a yellow light, but as the signified it represents Gatsby's hope and dreams for the future with Daisy. The green light symbolizes this because it is what is at the end of Daisy's dock yet, is still visible at Gatsby's dock all the way on the other side of the water and he calls it "his guiding light" since it is what "guides" him to Daisy, his true love. Other symbols in the movie include, The Eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, The Valley of Ashes, and so on.