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What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

692 Words3 Pages

Nolan Argabrite
Ms. Jakse
English 11
17 May 2023
Thematic Symbolism in “The Great Gatsby” “The Great Gatsby” is an American novel from 1925 written by Author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It takes place in 1922, four years after World War I, during the jazz age of American history. It follows characters Nick Carraway, a lower class bond salesman and Jay Gatsby, a self made millionaire. A very significant symbol within this novel is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. This is significant because the symbolism of the green light represents people’s hopes and dreams of this new up and coming age in our history. The first mention of “the green light” is on page 24 of the novel; it speaks of Nick seeing Gatsby from a distance with his arms held …show more content…

Nick understands Gatsby misses Daisy and attempts to set up a meeting between the two. Anxious, Gatsby tries to put it off due to minor things like the length of Nick’s grass, but ultimately the meeting gets set up. Nick invites Daisy over for tea, having Gatsby wait for her arrival; when Daisy arrives Gatsby is gone, but soon returns facing his fears. Gatsby states later on “If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay.” “You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock”(Fitzgerald Pg.99). This reference is a remembrance of the times Daisy and Gatsby spent together in years prior, and how Gatsby hopes he could have these memories again. Another reference is made to the light by Nick right after, he thinks to himself , “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of thar light had now vanished forever.”. This refers to Daisy’s marriage to Tom Buchanan, and how Gatsby has missed out on his chance reigniting things with Daisy. After hitting it off Gatsby and Daisy realize they are still in love; Daisy begins to start having an affair with Gatsby, going to parties and seeing each other on a regular basis. Later on, Gatsby decides to tell Tom about his relationship with Daisy at a dinner with the two and Nick. Tom eventually ends up telling Gatsby off, as well as

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When Gatsby first meets Daisy, he is shy and awkward, but after Nick returns, he is charismatic and earns Daisy's love. Gatsby at this time truly believes he has finally won her affection. Nick notes when Daisy hugs Gatsby “that the colossal significance of the light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 98). The green light disappearing represents his dream being accomplished. He finally has Daisy.

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When Gatsby and Daisy are out looking across the bay Gatsby acknowledges, “If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay... You always have a green lights that burns all night at the end of your dock. ”(92) The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock represents Gatsby’s hope for each other. He believes that they will be able to get back together with each other some day. When Gatsby and Daisy are outside looking across the bay Gatsby comments about the green light.

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The following quote described the expressions that was seen by Nick “…he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Pg. 33) Later in chapter nine, Nick realized that Gatsby was trying to reach out for Daisy, when he reached out to the green light. Nick expressed his thoughts about the light and Gatsby, “…I thought of Gatsby‘s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy‘s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could barely fail to grasp it.

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Gatsby ends up getting humbled in the end when he asks Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him and Daisy can not do so. Daisy loved Gatsby, but she also did love Tom and her memories with him still mattered to her. Tom offered Daisy stability and reassurance. Daisy did not think Gatsby had enough to satisfy her back then and she continues to have this same feeling now. Gatsby is hurt by this but he does not give up on his love for her until finally she gives up on it for the both of them.

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Nick notices “a single green light” across the bay (Fitzgerald 21). In addition to nick watching the green light Gatsby was at the end of the dock watching too. Whole heartily “Gatsby believed in the green light” knowing that where his dreams were. The green light across the bay was Daisy’s dock; Gatsby dreams and desires were

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When Gatsby did not see the light at Daisy’s bay he said, “If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay, “ said Gatsby. You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock. . Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever.” (Fitzgerald 98) When Gatsby is away from Daisy, he can see the green light, representing his longing for her. After the death and funeral of Gatsby, Nick visits his house for a final time.

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Gatsby's dream of being happy with Daisy is his deepest desire. In the novel, the reader understands that the green light represents this dream which, at last, becomes impossible to fill. One night, Nick sees a shadow emerge from his neighbor's mansion. He realized it was Gatsby looking at a green light that was shining from Daisy Buchanan’s house. He is standing near the water and starts to move: “he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way… he was trembling”(20-21).

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When Gatsby’s house is exuding light, he is in pursuit of attracting Daisy. Nick describes Gatsby’s failed attempts of using light to gain Daisy's attention saying the whole East Egg glowed from Gatsby’s house being lit from tower to cellar which fell unreal on the shrubbery (81). The light fell unreal on the shrubbery because Gatsby’s attempts attracted the people from east egg and beyond, but never successfully attracted the person he wanted to attract, Daisy, furthering the use of symbolizing light to prove Gatsby’s dream was futile. Only when Gatsby’s house no longer exudes light, does he achieve his dream of recapturing Daisy’s attention. Nick describes the loss of light with the tangibility of Daisy by writing “It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights failed to go on” (113).

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He had finally won her over, but many complications stood in his way. His dream was over, he had finally achieved it, but it was not as good as he had hoped. While Nick and Daisy are being shown around Gatsby’s mansion, Nick captures a dramatic moment in Gatsby’s expression, which he discloses to the reader “Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her.

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