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What Does The Green Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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It is one thing to read a book and understand what is there and it is another to look deeper into the meaning. If one has the ability to read then they are able to do the former; however, to do the latter, one has to think outside the box. When something or someone in a book has a meaning other than what is stated, it is a symbol. Most books have symbols present usually in the form of an object, character, figure, or colors. Symbols are used to represent abstract ideas or concepts in a story. One such story is The Great Gatsby, in which a variety of symbols are present. The use of symbols in The Great Gatsby gives the reader a deeper understanding of the plot and characters. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the text, does a fantastic job …show more content…

Green is another significant color in this novel; however unlike white, it represents a variety of ideas. One of the most significant one is “hope”. Throughout the novel, the color green is used to represent Gatsby’s undying hope. The green light that is at the end of Daisy and Tom’s dock is what Gatsby reaches out for. For example in the beginning of the novel, it is already shown that Gatsby stares at that light. Nick observes and describes Gatsby by stating, “…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. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.” This shows what that green light means to Gatsby. It is the symbol of Gatsby's hopes and dreams. It represents everything that haunts and beckons him: the physical and emotional distance between him and Daisy, the gap between the past and the present, the promises of the future, and could also mean money since it is also green. One of the instances

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