Symbolic representation is common amongst people and cultures around the world, but it is also used in literature to change the meanings or instill a different meaning in the mind of the readers.  People hold different things to be symbolic. Dove and peace, a rose and love, they are both simple, yet symbolic.  The reader is forced to think, and make connections, and succeed in adding a whole new meaning to the experience of reading.  In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has used symbolism in the form of characters, and to develop the theme, the corruption of the American Dream.  

    First, all of the characters in The Great Gatsby are symbolic of different classes in American society, from the richest to the poorest.  Collectively, they portray the dissatisfaction...