In the story, east is symbolic of wealth and the corruption it causes. In the east, having money is having power, and that power corrupts. Indeed, in the east, few truly take responsibility for their actions. Early in the story, Jordan Baker is nearly suggested in the newspapers to have "moved her ball from a bad lie" in the semi-finals of a golf tournament. Witnesses later said they might have been wrong, no doubt with the encouragement of Jordan's money. Also, when Daisy ran into Myrtle, neither she nor Gatsby stopped the car. In the corrupt East, people don't take responsibility for their actions.
The west, on the other hand, is symbolic for morality. The west was known for its values and its work ethic. Nick refers to the place as "the warm center of the world." Nick later talks of the west as the place where houses are called by the name of the family. With all of its morality, the west wasn't just a place where people lived, but where families lived.
Most of the major characters -- Nick, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, Gatsby -- are all part of the same "family": all of them came from the West to the East. They came, drawn by the wealth and the care-free attitude. However, as Nick says, "we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life." Of these five, only Nick "survives" and leaves the East, the corruption.
Nick, though, is not the only one who wanted to leave the East and go back west. George Wilson too wanted to go west. He planned to take Myrtle there: he had discovered her affair, and thought that taking her west would somehow "purify" her. Like Nick, he sees corruption and wants to get away from it. Nick does get away; George Wilson doesn't.
Symbolism of east and west plays an important role in the story. The East is corrupt; no one takes responsibility there. The West has maintained its values and morality. Most of the main characters go from the West to the East, only Nick makes the return trip. The symbolism of east and west in The Great Gatsby plays a distinct part in conveying the message of the novel.
Symbolism of colors is used most in the story. The color yellow (or gold) is symbolic of wealth, money. This can be seen in the color of Gatsby's car. The color green is symbolic of hope. The Dutch who first settled New York saw the green of the land; Gatsby's hope for Daisy's love is seen in the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. Whiite is a symbol of lack of morality, lack of virtue. In the beginning of the story, both Daisy and Jordan are dressed in white. The color blue is a symbol of death. The lawn around the pool where Gatsby was killed was blue. Color symbolism plays an important role in the story.
Another use of symbolism is the Valley of Ashes. It is related to the color symbolism; the gray color is symbolic of corruption. The corruption is symbolized in the Valley of Ashes on multiple levels. It shows the corruption of the land, the pollution, the decay. On another level it is symbolic of corruption of morality. On a third level, it shows the spiritual decay of the people. The Valley of Ashes shows decay on multiple levels.
One more important symbol is Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. The billboard symbolizes the eyes of God, which see all. Located in the Valley of Ashes, it is symbolic of the fact that God sees all the corruption, especially in the Valley of Ashes. George Wilson, looking out at the billboard, said, "God sees everything." An optometrist's billboard in the story is something more than it seems at first, a symbol of the eyes of God.
Symbols play an important role in The Great Gatsby. Colors help to explain the characters and events. The Valley of Ashes epitomizes the corruption of society. Dr. T.J. Eckleburg symbolizes the eyes of God, watching over the corruption. Fitzgerald makes use of many symbols that further deepen the involvement of the reader in the story.