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Kayla Whitty

Literature and Composition

C Block

November 22, 2022

The Green Light

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the green light is used to illustrate a

sense of hope. This hope was the one thing motivating Gatsby through the five years that Daisy

and him were apart. The green light first appears when Nick sees a figure in the distance; “He

[Gatsby] 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” (Fitzgerald 21). Gatsby associated the light with Daisy

Buchanan and the distance that stands between the two. To Nick, the light seen across the water

has no value, despite seeing how significant it is to Gatsby. This symbol helps to identify a

common theme of desire, but in these circumstances it can never be fulfilled. Fitzgerald’s

purpose is to create a metaphor for the secret romance that once existed, with each of them still

having a burning desire for the other. Gatsby is surprised to find that the light doesn’t have the

same significance to anyone else besides him. This is further demonstrated when Gatsby states

“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 92). Daisy has almost no reaction to this,

even though it revealed Gatsby strategically moved to his house in order to feel a connection to

Daisy again. In this example, the green light reflects Gatsby losing hope. With the light meaning

so much to Gatsby, he realized that Daisy had been thriving without an overwhelming hope of

rekindling their relationship, this is not to say that Daisy stopped loving him, but instead she had

moved forward. Although the two were able to reconnect, Gatsby’s dream was never able to be
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fulfilled. Towards the end of the novel, the green light appears one final time, as Nick reflects,

“As I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, 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 hardly fail to grasp it” (Fitzgerald 180).

At the end, the symbol regained its meaning of hope. Gatsby’s dream was so close to him that it

would appear that nothing could possibly get in the way. Fitzgerald’s purpose is to show the

evolution of the symbol and how in the end of each it was always unachievable. Fitzgerald’s use

of the green light clearly highlighted a fantasy that Gatsby let take over his life. It developed a

theme of hope, and despite all of his efforts, Gatsby died alone.