Significance Of The Green Light In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby takes place in the 1920’s in the West and in the East Egg. Many of the inhabitants of the upscale towns descend from old money and value high social statuses. However, Jay Gatsby defies the stereotypical residents of the West and of the East Egg. He is a man of wealth and a mysterious character who hosts elaborate parties every weekend. Gatsby’s wealth not only attracts his neighbor, Nick Carraway, and Daisy Buchanan, his old love interest, but, the entirety of the West and of the East Egg. Nick Carraway first spots Gatsby on his dock at night when he reaches toward a green light off in the distance. The green light is at the end of Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s dock, and it plays a crucial role in the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the green light in …show more content…

The green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock symbolizes wealth for several characters including Jay Gatsby and Daisy and Tom Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a towering mansion in the West Egg, and he frequently admires the green light that resides across the lake from him. Although he is a man of wealth and of interest, Gatsby does not gain the respect of the other wealthy residents of the West and of the East Egg. Many people speculate that Gatsby earns his money through illegal schemes, such as bootlegging, due to his sudden wealth and his routine parties. Because of the ban on alcohol at the time and because of Gatsby’s grandeur, many people attend Gatsby’s parties every weekend where he provides guests with an infinite amount of liquor and with a lively atmosphere. The Valley of Ashes, an extremely poor area, separates the East and the West Egg. The wealthy are a constant topic of discussion, and although both cities signify wealth, the East Egg earns the respect of others. The East Egg is a place of class and of old money, but the West Egg is where people of new money tend to