The Green Light In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby was a story written in 1925 by the American Writer; Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, more publicly known as F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is meant to show the lack of values in America at the time, and the tragedy that was the Sleazy, Jazz-filled, American 1920s. Following Nick Carraway, a young stockbroker, filled with naivety and indifference, and his transfer from country life to the big city way of life. His cousin, daisy, is a careless, somewhat dumb woman called Daisy, who, unbeknownst to him, is in love with a man named Gatsby, a shimmer of good in a world of corruption and evil. Daisy’s husband; Tom, is actively having an affair with a Gold-Digging woman by the name of Myrtle Wilson, and the love hexagon that is Myrtle, Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy eventually leads to Gatsby’s death, a symbol of loss for hope and good in the world. Much like Fitzgerald’s opinion for the current state of his country. However, there are many more symbols in this story, and the one we focus on today happens to be the elusive green searchlight, that Gatsby is so eager to obtain.

The green light at the end of daisy's dock is the symbol of gatsby's hopes and dreams. It represents everything that haunts and beckons Gatsby: the physical and emotional distance between him and Daisy, the gap between the past and the present, the promises of the future, and the powerful lure of that other green stuff he craves money. The light is something that is a key part of gatsby's character, even the very first time the books protagonist nick sees gatsby he is down at his dock staring at the light. “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” and even nick comes to realize this lights significance , “ And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes —a fresh, green breast of the new world.... And as I sat there, brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out Daisy's light at the end of his dock. He had come such a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close he could hardly fail to grasp it. But what he did not know was that it was already behind him, somewhere in the vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on

The Great Gatsby is considered one of the greatest American novels. This novel is set in the early 1920’s about a man named Jay Gatsby trying to win the heart of his long lost love Daisy. Fitzgerald writes everything for a purpose. He is not the kind of writer that puts random colors, throughout the book just for fun. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald utilizes the colors of gold and green as symbols with a deeper meaning to reality. Fitzgerald incorporates many different deep, rich colors. The Great Gatsby, colors function as symbols to reveal larger themes such as prosperity and hope.

The essential symbol within the novel of “The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald is the symbol of the green light. Within this novel, the green light represents many different objectives for the characters discussed within this novel. The novel first introduces the green light as a simple light placed upon Daisy’s dock but throughout the story the character Gatsby begins to symbolize the light as something much greater. Upon first sight, this sight may simply represent the thoughts that come to mind with the color green such as life, renewal, energy although, through the words of Gatsby, the green light develops a deeper meaning. The book does not the first talk explicitly about the green light but only the actions shown by Gatsby himself when he is viewing it. Later on, Jay Gatsby himself introduces the green light and explains its significance to him. Throughout the story, each character shows their own version of the “green light” with their actions but they are shown to be unable to reach it. The novel speaks to this idea of a green light from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a neutral party viewing the actions of each character as they strive to reach their green light. The symbolism displayed shows merit in its description, continuing to be relevant to the current generation.

In ‘The Great Gatsby” one such symbol is the green light found at the end of Daisy and Tom’s dock. Gatsby is able to see the light across the bay from his mansion, only when the weather is clear. The light for each character means something to them. For Gatsby himself it is the hope of the American Dream.

“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” (pg. 180). Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism to represent the numerous forms of the American Dream. In this book the main character, Jay Gatsby, is a poor man who falls in love with a rich, florid girl named Daisy and spends the remainder of his life trying to get rich to impress her. Sadly, no matter how many parties he throws or how much money he makes, Gatsby will never be rich enough or good enough and dies tragically and entirely

In Chapter 12 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster discusses how symbols can possess multiple meanings due to the different ways that humans interpret literature. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many symbols can be up for interpretation by the reader. For example, a recurring symbol in this novel is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. At the beginning of the novel, this light resembles Gatsby’s dream of having Daisy to himself. As Fitzgerald describes this light as “far away,” he reveals that this dream may be unattainable. However, the green light does not simply symbolize Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy. As Foster states, “in general a symbol can't be reduced to standing for only one thing” (105). The green light also can serve as a symbol of the American Dream of the 1920’s—climbing the social ladder and acquiring vast wealth. Although Gatsby has achieved much of this dream, he often appears dissatisfied with life—despite the fact that he possesses a significant amount of money and power—and always strives for more. As Gatsby keeps looking toward the green light in hope, this symbol reveals that Gatsby never believes that he has fully achieved the American Dream. Other readers may think of more possible meanings for the green light. As Foster also reveals in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, The Great Gatsby displays that symbols can possess multiple layers of meaning due to the imaginations of readers.

The Great Gatsby is regarded as a brilliant piece of social commentary, offering a vivid peak into American life during the 1920’s. Fitzgerald vividly depicts the Green light and the rich to portray the American Dream throughout the novel.

Towards the end of the first chapter Nick finally encounters his neighbor, Gatsby. In this scene Gatsby "stretched out his arms toward the dark water... a single green light"(Fitzgerald 26). It is later discovered that Daisy's dock was emitting a green light. Hence, the reason why Gatsby was reaching for it, for it symbolized his desire for Daisy. The VEVO "Sad Machine" by Porter Robinson fits properly with this scene at the end of the first chapter. Both are parallel in that they are reaching out for someone, in Gatsby's case for Daisy. As Robinson emphasizes "since you've awakened her again" Gatsby hopes to reawaken Daisy and her love.

When people base their future objectives on past experiences, they will end up destroying their own dreams. In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, created a facade, which leads to him destroying his life. Gatsby was a man perpetually pushing ahead, while concentrated on the past. He was an optimist who reinvented himself, achieved financial wealth and social success, however failed to attain his American Dream: Daisy’s love. He obsessively chased illusions and disregarded reality, and as a result, devastated himself. Throughout the novel, the green light symbolizes Gatsby's goals and desires, to develop the theme of the American Dream.

Renowned is the symbol of “the green light” in The Great Gatsby, which represents the American Dream, specifically Gatsby’s American Dream. He spent years building his own empire to impress Daisy and earn her love. In Chapter V, the passage beginning, “Under the dripping bare lilac-trees,” can be recognized as a climax, and this climax surrounds the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby.

The green light scene is probably one of the most important scenes in the book, because it could be interpreted in multiple different ways. However, the significance of the green light changes throughout the story. At the beginning, when Nick saw Gatsby reaching out to the light, it symbolizes Gatsby’s longing for Daisy. Gatsby wants to recreate the one month they were together before he went to the war and has waited a long time to do so. Towards the middle of the novel, it is revealed that Gatsby’s dream is delusional.

The glimmer of a faint yellow light illuminates from the passing firefly fluttering through the night sky. Flickers of burnt orange embers pop as the dazzling gold embellishment upon the cast iron fireplace mantle irradiate. Wafts of burning candle wax flow far and wide within the air, faintly highlighting the cheekbones of the mistress within the hanging painting. Light, a fragile source of life. Containing sparks of bright ambition that serves contrasting meanings to all it touches.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of wealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the West Egg, and the Valley of the Ashes. The two eggs show how the characters have obtained their wealth, what they value, and how they live their lives. F. Scott Fitzgerald models the character of Jay Gatsby after himself and financial and romantic experiences in his personal life. The Great Gatsby summarizes the yearning for the American dream in the 1920s, through the wealth of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s characters and through the imagery of colors.

The color green represents wealth, which was a reoccurring obsession with Gatsby. The body of water between them both represents the rift between Gatsby and Daisy’s different lives and backgrounds. Additionally, this is the first instance when Gatsby is reaching out to his hopes and dreams. Gatsby’s dream involves wealth and future marriage with Daisy. It is duly noted that at the end of the first chapter, Nick saw Gatsby and, “could have sworn he was trembling…Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light”(Gatsby 20-21). This personal action represents the longing for economic and material success, almost becoming and obsession. However the readers are able to understand that individuals constantly believe that there is always something better in the world. This green light is also symbolic as nicks observation at the end of the novel “tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther”(Gatsby 171), showing that this dream is all encompassing. Gatsby looking across the water to see the green light has drove himself to high status and astonishing success. The green light not only represents wealth but also the model of the American