What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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F. Scott Fitzgerald presents The Great Gatsby with complex symbolism. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values as evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and the empty pursuit of pleasure. He uses symbolism to illustrate the distorted and unattainable American Dream. In particular, the green light, the Valley of Ashes, and East and West Egg emphasize his theme that a corrupt and materialistic American Dream is unattainable. One of the novel’s prominent symbols is the green light at Daisy’s dock, which symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams. The green light represents everything that haunts and beckons Gatsby : the physical and emotional distance between Gatsby and Daisy, the gap between the past and the present, the promises of the future, and the lure of other green materials that Gatsby craves, such as money. To Gatsby, the green light demonstrates his dream, which is Daisy. Fitzgerald, in narrator Nick Carraway’s voice writes “... he East Egg symbolizes “old money” or inherited wealth. The people there are more condescending than those who live in West Egg due to the established wealth. While West Egg symbolizes “new money” or the new found wealth. The people there live a more carefree lifestyle. East Egg and West Egg together represent the ongoing divisions in society. East Egg is where the "real" aristocrats, those with old money and established credentials, live. West Egg is where the new money lives and is not considered as classy. The city is filled with people who are on an uninhibited, amoral quest for money, and pleasure. Additionally, the East is connected to the moral decay and social cynicism of New York, while the West is connected to more traditional social values and

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