Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal vision for Americans for decades. The goal of achieving the dream goes as far back as the 1920s, when The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the literary classic novel, Fitzgerald explores themes of resistance to change, decadence, and tainted love. All of which are characteristics of the American Dream.
Through symbols such as the green light, East Egg and West Egg, and Daisy Buchanan, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates that the American Dream is unattainable in his twisted tragedy The Great Gatsby.
The green light is a recurring symbol that represents the hazy future between Gatsby and Daisy. As Gatsby gazed wistfully across the bay, he “distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock” (21). Gatsby associates the green light with his goal of winning Daisy back. The light was barely visible from across the dock, faint and hard to grasp. Consequently, Gatsby feels that the light will soon become close enough to grasp, and when it does, he imagines that things between him and Daisy will be as they were 5 years ago. …show more content…
He “ believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (180). Due to Gatsby’s false sense of reality he was left yearning for Daisy and the past, realizing that his dream was not able to be bought no matter how much green he has. Gatsby also failed to realize that money cannot buy happiness, let alone love. Nick views the green light as a symbol of the significance of the past to Gatsby and his dreams of the future. Gatsby tried very hard to attain his dream by transcending and re-creating the past however, in the end his dream still remained
Through symbols such as the green light, East Egg and West Egg, and Daisy Buchanan, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates that the American Dream is unattainable in his twisted tragedy The Great Gatsby.
The green light is a recurring symbol that represents the hazy future between Gatsby and Daisy. As Gatsby gazed wistfully across the bay, he “distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock” (21). Gatsby associates the green light with his goal of winning Daisy back. The light was barely visible from across the dock, faint and hard to grasp. Consequently, Gatsby feels that the light will soon become close enough to grasp, and when it does, he imagines that things between him and Daisy will be as they were 5 years ago. …show more content…
He “ believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (180). Due to Gatsby’s false sense of reality he was left yearning for Daisy and the past, realizing that his dream was not able to be bought no matter how much green he has. Gatsby also failed to realize that money cannot buy happiness, let alone love. Nick views the green light as a symbol of the significance of the past to Gatsby and his dreams of the future. Gatsby tried very hard to attain his dream by transcending and re-creating the past however, in the end his dream still remained