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Jay Gatsby Green Light Essay

396 Words2 Pages

In The Great Gatsby, the connection between Jay Gatsby and the American Dream is a exploration of the American Dream’s complexities and illusions. Gatsby’s aspirations and desires, toward his relentless pursuit of a dream that always remains just out of reach is symbolized throughout the story as the fact that "Gatsby believed in the green light" (180). The profound significance of this symbol representing his desire not only for wealth and status, but for love as well. Gatsby's dream is not merely about acquiring material wealth or social status, it is a yearning for a better future, a chance to recreate the past and win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. She becomes both a beacon of hope and a status symbol for Gatsby, embodying the allure of the …show more content…

Despite his immense wealth and lavish displays, Gatsby remains an outsider to these communities and in the end Daisy. Forever stretching out his arms toward the “dark water”(20), unable to attain what he desires most. The “green light" (21) at the end of Daisy’s dock which is stares out at, acts as a constant reminder of this unattainable dream. Fitzgerald's depiction of Gatsby’s struggle challenges the notion that hard work and merit will inevitably lead to the realization of one's dreams. Gatsby's rags-to-riches story exposes the limitations of the American Dream and the elusive nature of the happiness it might bring. The profound connection between Gatsby and the American Dream lies in the juxtaposition of his relentless pursuit and the ultimate disillusionment that awaits him as Daisy chooses to stay in high society with Tom. In the end it is found out that Gatsby does not attain all this wealth just through hard work, but through organized crime. Ultimately dismantling the purity of the American dream that Gatsby

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