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Frederick C. Millett
So ends the first chapter of The
Great Gatsby and brings to our attention the first symbol in this
book - that mysterious green light. In our first acquaintance with the
light, we see Gatsby reaching out for it, almost, in a way, worshipping
it. We find out later that this green light is at the end of Daisy's
dock, and is a symbol for Gatsby's dream and the hope for the future.
Green is the color of promise, hope, and renewal - so it is fitting
that Gatsby's dream of a future with Daisy be represented physically
in the novel by this green light. Later, in the final chapter
of this novel, Fitzgerald compares At the end of the first chapter
we are given the green light, a symbol for the hope and promise of the
future. At the beginning of the second chapter, however, we are introduced
to the "foul wasteland" of the present. Fitzgerald calls it a "valley
of ashes" (16), where only the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg look over
it from a billboard nearby. This section of the novel can be interpreted
as the foul, material-driven world that the main characters live in,
and which helps to destroy Gatsby's dream. The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg
symbolize in this chapter advertising and materialism gone mad, one
of the central themes of the plot. Later in the book, right before the
climax, Daisy tells Gatsby that he reminds her of an advertisement.
This statement confirms that Daisy does not like Gatsby for himself,
but for the superficial illusion he represents. On a larger scale, it
is through advertising that the material aspects of the American Dream
are revealed. Hence, it only makes sense that Fitzgerald would use references
to advertising throughout the course of his novel. Also in advertising,
eternal youth, wealth, and beauty are constantly emphasized, Later on in The Great Gatsby, George Wilson, after seeing his wife die in a tragic car accident, gives the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg a whole new meaning. Wilson, a very non-religious man, compares the doctor's eyes to those of God, watching over him through the "foul dust" and desolate wasteland in which the novel is set. This is only one of many religious overtones mentioned or hinted at by Fitzgerald throughout The Great Gatsby. At the end of the first chapter, we see Gatsby reaching out for the green light, almost in the attitude of a worshiper. This is the first suggestion Fitzgerald gives us that Gatsby's quest for Daisy is more than just a physical endeavor, but a spiritual one as well. During the flashback in chapter seven, when Gatsby first met Daisy, his mind is compared to the mind of God, which will never act the same again if he kisses her. A chapter earlier, Nick writes the following concerning why Gatsby changed his name:
Gatsby, by changing his name,
in a way creates himself anew, making his life more like that of God.
In chapter eight, we find two instances of religious imagery. Daisy
is compared to the "Holy Grail" and Gatsby's dream is like a knight's
quest, showing once again the dream's spiritual nature. Also in this
chapter, we see Gatsby, after the car accident, When the early explorers first came to America, escaping the corruption of their old world in search of the promise of a new world, they traveled from east to west. Now, America itself is corrupted, so the characters in The Great Gatsby travel from west to east - in search of wealth and sophistication - leaving the moral values and stability of the west behind. It is this eastern part which is called a "valley of ashes" by Fitzgerald, a place where morals are left out and only superficial, material-driven people can live in peace. Fitzgerald uses this change in direction as a symbol for the deterioration of American ideals and the American Dream, helping to prove that our quest for wealth and sophistication is corrupting our culture, and causing us to live in a wasteland of morals - an ash heap of civilization. All these previous symbols - the
green light, the ash heap, and the east and west - have one thing in
common: change. Change is apparent in both the action and the underlying
meaning and symbols of the novel. From the basic storyline, we find
three major instances of change. First, all major characters change
where they live, with Tom and Daisy a prime example - moving frequently
from place to place throughout their life before arriving at East Egg.
Also, Gatsby changes his name, which allows him to start his life from
scratch and make it more like that of God - all in the ultimate goal
of attaining Daisy. And finally we have the changing of the seasons,
which symbolically correspond to changes in the
He later corrects this statement,
during a conversation with Jordan Baker, saying: "I'm thirty. I'm five
years too old to lie to myself and call it honour" (113). He develops
enough in this story to realize that he is not above the rest of the
characters, and is capable of lies and superficiality as well. What
saves, or sets Nick apart from the rest, however, may have been his
realization of his thirtieth birthday. At the climax of the novel, Nick
kind of awkwardly throws in the fact All the following symbols in The Great Gatsby, when put together, give us the main theme or point that Fitzgerald is trying to make - that American idealism and spirituality have been corrupted by material possessions and wealth. Gatsby's dream fails because of his material wealth he must possess to accomplish it. In this respect, Gatsby fails before he even begins - showing the unforgiving nature of a land characterized by Fitzgerald as a wasteland of ashes. This "ash heap" is the present, the terrible time where The Great Gatsby takes place - a time which all hope is lost for the future, and Gatsby's sacred green light becomes nothing more than just a light at the end of Daisy's dock.
Ceaselessly into the past, because the future is far too grim to imagine. Hope is lost, but that's no matter, we will still keep trying - and who knows, one day maybe we can accomplish our dreams.
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Perhaps
F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest work, The Great Gatsby is not
only a great story, but an insight into the flaws of real life during
the "Roaring Twenties." His book has been considered by many a symbol
for the "Jazz Age," a time of extraordinary wealth and promise, but
Fitzgerald's novel is much more than that, presenting the truth behind
the twenties and creating an atmosphere which has earned a permanent
place in American literature. Fitzgerald's novel works on many different
levels, giving us unforgettable characters and events on one, as well
as referring to the problems of American wealth and spirituality on
another. However, what is the main point of the book? And most importantly,
what on earth is that mysterious green light? Those questions, as well
as many others will be answered in this analysis, which will discuss
the underlying meaning and symbolism behind The Great Gatsby.
Gatsby's
green light to the "green breast of the new world" (115), comparing
Gatsby's dream of rediscovering Daisy to the explorer's discovery of
America and the promise of a new continent. However, Gatsby's dream
is tarnished by his material possessions, much like America is now with
our obsession with wealth. The means corrupt the end, and Gatsby's dream
dies because of Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom's carelessness and superficiality,
as does Gatsby for the same reasons.
which goes along with Gatsby's youthful dream of Daisy and explains
why Fitzgerald never has to develop his characters. Fitzgerald's novel
is only one big advertisement, with all the characters involved living
with eternal youth, wealth, and beauty that never develop in part because
advertisements never develop. 
looking
over Daisy from her yard, trying to protect her. His watch over her
window is compared to a vigil, and while Nick talked to Gatsby that
night, he sensed that his presence was ruining the "sacredness" of the
moment. However, Gatsby's vigil was over nothing - Daisy was never in
her room that night - much like Gatsby's dream is over a nonexistent
person. The Daisy he met and fell in love with years ago is not the
same person anymore, and as much as Gatsby thinks that he can repeat
the past, in the real world it is proven to be impossible. On one level,
Fitzgerald gives us Gatsby's dream as a spiritual quest, but on another
level, we find out that this is yet another reason why his dream fails.
His faith is misplaced, because the object of his quest is nothing more
than Daisy Buchanan. In turn, Fitzgerald is saying that the spirituality
of America is misplaced because of our obsession with material wealth,
which creates a sort of national delusion. 
storyline
during The Great Gatsby. On one level, Fitzgerald writes these elements
of change in the action of the novel, but on another level, he hints
at change symbolically. The green light is a symbol for hope and promise
- a hope that the "ash heap" of the present will change to that of a
great future, where dreams come true and the American Dream is realized.
Overlooking this ash heap of the present are the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg,
which change in meaning throughout the novel. In chapter two, they symbolize
materialism and advertising gone mad, showing how corrupt the American
Dream and American idealism have become. However, later in the novel
his eyes are compared to those of God - changing their meaning to a
more spiritual one - symbolizing how American spirituality has been
corrupted by our quest for wealth and material possessions. We also
see a change in travel in Gatsby - from the traditional east-west direction
to the opposite movement from west to east - which symbolizes the corruption
in America today. People now move from stable, moral environments in
the west to the lavish, highly superficial wealth of the east - an east
which is characterized by Fitzgerald as the ash heap of civilization.
With all this change in The Great Gatsby, only one character changes
throughout the course of the novel: Nick. Gatsby cannot change because
his life is based on a dream he set for himself as a youth and Tom and
Daisy cannot develop because their life is one big advertisement, living
in eternal youth, beauty, and wealth. Nick however, changes a great
deal throughout the novel - which we see most prominently in two statements
he makes. At the end of chapter three, Nick states:
(right
in the middle of the big argument) that it's his thirtieth birthday.
However, this is actually a relevant detail for the conversation. The
age of thirty is symbolic for the passing of youth - or the passing
of innocence. Hence, the turning point in Nick's life occurs simultaneously
with the turning point in Gatsby's - the termination of his youthful
dream. Some could even say that Nick's character develops in that statement
on that day alone - with his passing of youth. It is fitting that Nick
be the only character that Fitzgerald develops in The Great Gatsby,
because as the narrator, Nick uses symbols of change to correspond to
his own character development.