What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

This quote “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further... and then one fine morning - So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Fitzgerald, F. S, 171-172) concludes the novel The Great Gatsby, spoken by the narrator, Nick Carraway. It refers to the significance of love, hope, and the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby, represented by the green light on the end of Daisy’s dock. The metaphor focuses on the struggles relating to Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship – and how it symbolises who Gatsby is as a person. In the metaphorical quote Nick is stating how they can not transform their dreams into reality after the amount of time spent apart although they never lose optimism. The quote is also about Gatsby life’s, representing the American Dream and its eventual decline.

“Gatsby believed in the green light”

The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a representation of his dream of Daisy, the love and hope for her, and their relationship.

It is also a symbol for the society’s wishes (The American Dream). The first time we hear about the green light is on (Page 25, Chapter 1) “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” This is when Tom sees Gatsby on the end of his dock stretching out towards the green light trying to grab the light but not being able to reach. Meaning that it almost impossible to get

Daisy.
More into the novel it is divulged that Gatsby’s desire for Daisy is also a desire for the past when five years ago when Daisy and Gatsby were first together, they fell in love.

Although the story of The Great Gatsby is about the love between Gatsby and Daisy, the main theme of the novel is not so romantic. The Great Gatsby is a high emblematic of the 1920s America as a whole. It was an era of prosperity and material excess. The book is based on decayed morals and social vales, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. In the novel, this is shown through Tom Buchanan’s mistress and being able to punch her in the nose without having any consequences. The novel also expressed the happiness at the time which led to parties and wild jazz music. This is shown by Gatsby’s big parties. Scott F. Fitzgerald has used the characters in The Great Gatsby as symbols of The American Dream and previous years, he uses both Nick and Gatsby who both fought in World War One. There is also a clash between new and old money, where in East Egg it represents the old money, where they were born into that money and West Egg represents the nouveau money. Gatsby and his business partner Meyer Wolfshiem are the representation of the organised crime and bootlegging (illegally selling alcohol). Gatsby’s and Daisy’s relationship