Fitzgerald's Use Of Green Light In The Great Gatsby

1274 Words6 Pages

‘The great Gatsby’ composed by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel in which the author effectively explores several themes including the shallowness of money, and the divide between new money and old money. The story spans across one summer during the ‘roaring twenties’ and follows the enigmatic Jay Gatsby as he tries to re-kindle his love with daisy Buchanon. At the beginning of the novel Fitzgerald uses green light to symbolise Gatsby’s hope of getting back together with Daisy. The narrator Nick makes this observation, the light is something Gatsby physically reaches for as though touching it will lead to a reunion with Daisy. “He stretched his arms towards the dark water in a curious way . . . and distinguished nothing except a single green light.” Gatsby believes that if he touches this light he will gain Daisy. It gives him hope to continue to reach for her and also gives him the validation he needs as he as committed crimes to get this close to Daisy. As the novel continues the reader earns that the green light is at the end of Daisy’s dock …show more content…

Nick says this “what a grotesque thing a rose is.” In reference to Gatsby’s vision of Daisy as he loves a ghost not a person he believes that in five years nothing about her has changed that she, like him, was waiting. This again highlights the theme of how the past cant be repeated. Daisy just loved him for his money and all the gifts he could give her and the temporary affection she could gain to boost her own ego, like pretty much every other person in she could be equated to a ‘parasite’ sucking him dry and then moving on. Daisy perfectly embodies the theme of the shallowness of the