Symbolism of the Green Light (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Book Review)

What dream do you have? And what is a dream? Perhaps it’s just something that has been formed in your mind, an addiction or delusion, wanting to be ideal, to be successful, and have that wonderful feeling of achievement. The Great Gatsby, a novel written by Fitzgerald, F. Scott; Gatsby a mysterious person, who was born in North Dakota, his ambition is to succeed, even though he has to lie about his entire life. Gatsby meets Daisy at a party one day and both fall in love, but Gatsby has to leave for the war, Daisy was tired of waiting for Gatsby and she married Tom. Tom is an unpleasant person who has an affair with Myrtle on his wife, Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes with Wilson, her husband, and Nick who was his only real friend after a time. Fitzgerald uses the green light symbol for how hard Gatsby had to work for his dreams, even sometimes he doesn't know if he will be able to achieve it.

Nick's first time seeing this symbol is also his first time seeing Gatsby. It is a night that Nick arrives at his house and sees someone at the dock starting a green light: “He stretched out his arms towards 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 distinguishing nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 38). According to this quote, is just the beginning of a dream, a single specified, and distant dream. Gatsby just vanished in the unquiet darkness.

Gatsby's dream sees him closer after his reunion with Daisy. After five years, Gatsby has just reunited with Daisy. Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy to his home, they accept and spend time together, they are in Gatsby’s room; Gatsby and Daisy are at the window, “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 at the end of your dock."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 him, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted things had diminished by one.” (Fitzgerald 92). His dream seems close but something is interfering with their relationship. The endeavor of his work does not seem too far away.

The end of a dream for Gatsby. Gatsby dies; without understanding that Gatsby dies, Daisy leaves him, and no one attends his funeral. After a long time, Nick decides to go back

to Gatsby’s house. It is not the same place now, everything has changed. Gatsby saw his dream so close and he had faith in his dreams: “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 farther... And one fine morning-- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Fitzgerald 180). It seems to close at the end of Gatsby's dream of being with Daisy; a dream that seems impossible and he will work hard for the next time. Gatsby worked for his dreams, did the best he could, but he died without anything at the same time.

Gatsby only had one purpose and it was to be with Daisy, and it was about to happen but in one day everything changed and he died without knowing anything. Fitzgerald uses the green light symbol for how hard Gatsby had to work for his dreams, even sometimes he doesn't know if he will be able to achieve it.  Never do it for someone else, work hard to reach your goals, do it for you. What would you do to pursue your dreams?