The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis

The American dream is known as a set of ideas that expresses the opportunity for success; a richer and fuller life is achievable by anyone who desires to work towards it. F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the American dream in The Great Gatsby as a longing or desire to constantly dream of an unachievable dream. Once the dream is achieved there is nothing left to chase and there is nothing beautiful left to dream about. Fitzgerald expresses this idea through the eyes of Mr. Gatsby. The reader witnesses Gatsby’s longing for a long lost lover he met during the war. Gatsby devotes his time after the war to becoming wealthy enough to be accepted by Daisy Buchanan. Once he obtains wealth, his goal is to rekindle his love with Daisy. Through the gleaming …show more content…
Nick first encounters Gatsby when he is overlooking the bay towards the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby has his arms stretched out toward the incandescent light as if he can almost grasp it: “ ...he 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, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.” The light releases a mysterious energy, Nick is curious and does not know what it means. The light never turns off. Although, Nick only seems to be able to see the light when Gatsby is reaching towards it because as soon as Gatsby disappears the light vanishes with him. In this context, the light represents rebirth. It represents Gatsby’s desires to reunite with Daisy to repeat the love they shared during the war. On a …show more content…
Gatsby has idealized his reunion with Daisy, he has envisioned the moment their eyes meet to the way her touch would feel against his pale skin a myriad of times in his head. In return, his expectations of a perfect reunion may not be met no matter how delightful Daisy is. Although, for a simple moment their love seems to be reignited. Gatsby flaunts his English designer shirts to impress Daisy and tells her of the gleaming green light and his dream to love her. “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 her, 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 objects had diminished by one.” (Chapter 5 Pg 117-118) In this scene, Gatsby’s dream is revealed as delusional, he ignores the fact that five years have gone by and Daisy has moved on with Tom. The light has its symbolic meaning removed from it because Gatsby is now actually standing there and touching Daisy. Gatsby no