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Green Light Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Decent Essays

Baz Luhrmann portrays many symbols in the film, ‘The Great to show the motivation and fate of Jay Gatsby. The text itself is constructed using many symbols, which are incorporated to highlight different elements of the film’s message. The three major symbols in the film are the Green Light, the Eyes from the Valley of Ashes and finally the Parties, which Gatsby frequently hosts.

Probably the most noticeable symbol in the film is the green light, which is situated at the end of Daisy’s dock but barely visible from Gatsby’s dock. Gatsby is often depicted gazing into the distance at the green light. Luhrmann positions Gatsby in this way because the green light represents hope and his dreams for the future. Therefore it is evident that Gatsby …show more content…

It eluded us then, but that's no matter, tomorrow we will run farther, stretch out our arms farther….

However the green light represents Gatsby’s dream of Daisy and how they would live as they had planned in the past. But Gatsby does not consider tomorrow because he is determined to live in the past, which is not what Daisy wants within the social context of their relationship it is clear that the green light on a broader scale represents society’s near impossible desire to achieve the insatiable goal of the American Dream.

Another symbol that features regularly throughout the film is the large eyes painted on the old advertising billboard overlooking the Valley of Ashes. These are the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes may represent God or another higher being looking down upon America judging the society for the loss of spiritual values that it has attained. An example of the loss of spiritual values is in the character of Tom Buchanan as he is constantly committing adultery and discriminating against people on their heritage and ancestral background. Jay Gatsby is also an example of the decay in morality as he deals in illegal activities such as selling alcohol to fuel his

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