What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Words: 630
Pages: 3

In the Great Gatsby there were many themes along with symbols in the story. One of those themes was, money doesn’t buy you happiness. The three symbols were the green light, the parties that Jay Gatsby had, and the West and East Egg. The green light represented money and the hopes and dreams that Jay had. The parties were held all the time for people Gatsby didn’t even know. Lastly when Gatsby tries to buy off Nick’s friendship so that he can bring Daisy over. The green light in the story symbolizes the theme, money doesn’t buy you happiness because Gatsby’s dream was having Daisy. He saw the green light from the East Egg which was where Daisy and her husband lived. Everytime Gatsby looked over he would think of Daisy and what he hoped for in the future. On page 92 he mentions the light to Daisy and talks about how he sees it at the end of her dock. Then Nick observes Gatsby’s face and emotions after he said that. “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.” (page 93, paragraph 1, line 1.) This shows how the green light …show more content…
He held these parties but he didn’t even attend them and sometimes he didn’t even invite all the people who came. He just held them to somehow try and get Daisy’s attention and have her eventually attend one of his many parties. “On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains.” (page 39, paragraph 1, line 8.) This quote from the book explains how people would just come to his house and have a party while he would leave it. This shows how he had the money to hold these parties but he never enjoyed them and chose leave instead of staying and having a good