Symbolic Meaning of Green Light in The Great Gatsby.docx

09级英语二班 耿莉娟 0915101035Symbolic Meaning of Green Light in The Great GatsbyIn the novel the green light” appears three times, and respectively, the three positions are: in the beginning of the novel, in the midway and in the end. That is to say, the green light runs through the whole story as an important symbol, and gives us the appearance that Gatsbys fate has always been closely linked to it.First the green light is the source of Gatsbys faith and hope. Traditionally people always associate green with youth, vitality, spring and hope to contact. However, in this novel, Fitzgerald, the author, gave the green some new symbolic meanings .The green light is first seen in the end of the first chapter: “Involuntarily glanced seawardand distinguished nothing except single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock.” Situated at the end of Daisys East Egg dock and barely visible from Gatsbys West Egg lawn, the green light represents Gatsbys hopes and dreams for the future, for at that time Gatsby is only an impoverished retired soldier ,down-and-out, cannot afford even new clothes. Nevertheless he fall in love with Daisy and try to seek his fortune, hoping to match her status and to win her favor. Gatsby often stare at it in the alone night, and spread out his hands to embrace it, from which we can see the green light represents youth ,ambition and becomes the symbol of love. Gatsbys faith complete rely on it; he reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. Second, the green light becomes the incarnate of Daisy. Gatsby regarded it as Daisy. For Gatsby, he and Daisy are so far away, in contrast, the green light will appear from her very near, just like the moon next to a small stars Daisy snugly in Daisys side”, his boundless miss and deep feelings for Daisy are on the green light, even the arms creative passion into reverie, also continue to be dotted and rendering, with each floating feathers to decorate your dreams. At that time Daisy is so dignity, noble and unreachable, while he is humble and low. He has no chance to win her love back and be with her, so he images the green light as her lover and then he can see “her” whenever he misses her.Third, the green light symbolizes the American dream. In this article the author mentioned the green light again at the end, thus corresponding with the beginning and the end, also, the author gives it more symbolic meanings. It is not only a symbol of Gatsbys personal ideal, hopes, goals and direction, but also a symbol of the United States of Americans dream, which is actually vanity and fragile. Gatsbys individual pursuit process exposes the vain and worthless American Dream, the distorted human relationships and the serious social and ecological problems in modern society. The beginning and collapse of Gatsbys dream is miniature of the disillusion of “American Dream.Forth, the green light also symbolizes the more generalized ideal. In Chapter 9, Nick compares the green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation.Reading that last sentence, so we continued to struggle, the boat like current, borne back ceaselessly into the past, one word