To Sink, or to Swim

By An Nguyen

The pool in the Great Gatsby seems to represent the trends of the 1920s. Expressed in the book,

Gatsby mentions first in chapter 5 then in chapter 8 that he never used the pool all summer. This is similar

to the action that Gatsby makes to avoid drinking in general. And, quite coincidentally, the interruption of

both abstinences lead to Gatsbys downfall, the sobriety ends with Gatsby joining politely with Daisy,

Tom, Ms. Baker, and Mr. Caraway as they drink an iced and minted gin alcoholic drink. The fall in that

case would be the loss of Gatsbys relationship with Daisy, as he is pushed past the breaking point from

Toms drunken rage. Whilst Gatsbys attempt at ending is streak of not using the pool only ends up

making him exposed for a kill.

While the pool may symbolize the mainstream, you would notice that the examples from the

book I used could also imply to another theme that the pool might symbolize, abstinence. Similar to

drinking, swimming would be fun, but there are health risks as well, such as drowning, swimmers ear,

etc. The point is, the dangers of a pool are less than the dangers of drinking. In my sketch, I combined

both of the meanings expressed in the book. The deep, blackness of the water represents the dark, deep

tendency of the mainstream and of vice use. Of how both may be fun and gain popularity, it could

swallow you up to the point where there is no more of you. The ground lining the pool represents the

blurred state of popularity, how it causes a chaos of its own and often screens against the cruelties of the

real world, and of its problems. And Gatsby, standing alone and colored yellow, represents ones true,

pure intention of keeping to the path, and how lonesome the path is in following ones own values.

Whether it is a symbol to stay away from drugs, or a symbol of the vacuum of the mainstream,

Fitzgerald makes the meaning of the pool clear with a common meaning. The need to preserve ones own

values. Both interpretations in the end, favor preservation, and betray quickly, the compromise of those

values.