Gatsby's Book Collection

Gatsby's Book Collection

Books

Gatsby's collection of books in his library. Although these books are each a "bona-fide piece of printed matter," their pages remain uncut (the pages of books during the 1920s were not pre-cut meaning the reader had to cut them to open and read the book.) So this means that Gatsby has not read any of the books in his collection. This symbolizes Gatsby's facade that he puts on for the people around him. Gatsby wants to be perceived as well-read and educated, but the fact that these books remain un-opened shows that this is not who he truly is. The books also symbolize Gatsby himself. Everyone knows Gatsby by his "cover" and his pages remain uncut so that no one knows what he hides within.

Multiple authors and publishers

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Keegan Struble

books, literature