What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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A symbol in a novel is a concrete object that represents an idea or a set of ideas. In this paper one might tell you what symbols were used in the story "The Great Gatsby," written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The three major symbols that one could chose to write about could be The Green Light, The Valley of Ashes, and the East and West Egg. Each of the three main symbols in some way involve Gatsby.

The Green Light, that is at the end of Daisy's dock, represents Gatsby's dream of being together with Daisy again. The Green Light also represents "Gatsby's hope to meet Daisy again and a chance to win her back."(ovtg.de) "The Green Light first appears when Gatsby stares across the bay towards the light."(ovtg.de) "Gatsby believed in the Green Light."(pg. 193) The color green is the color of hope and envy. Green represents hope because Gatsby wants do get back with Daisy. Green represents envy because that is what "Gatsby feels toward Daisy's husband Tom Buchanan."(quora.com) …show more content…

26) The Valley of Ashes is a "fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges, hills, and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air."(pg. 26) The Valley of Ashes in an industrial wasteland covered in ash and soot were the poor people get caught between beautiful New York and the West Egg. The Valley of Ashes represents "something dark and lifeless".(ovtg.de) The fact that the Wilson's live in The Valley of Ashes shows that they are of lesser social standard then the people that live in New York or West