In F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the green light, is used to represent a longing

for something. The green light first appears when Nick states, “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 at the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 19). The

meaning of the green light is associated with hope and Gatsby’s longing for something he was

missing. When Gatsby stretches his arms forward, Fitzgerald is trying to show how he is

reaching for something more. It also shows how much desire he has for this missing piece. This

is further demonstrated when Gatsby reveals what the green light symbolizes to him. When

Gatsby tells Daisy about the green light for the first time he says, “If it wasn’t for the mist we

could see your home across the bay… you always have a green light that burns all night at the

end of your dock” (Fitzgerald 72). The purpose of the green light is to illustrate Gatsby’s hope of

his and Daisy's future. When Gatsby and Daisy finally reunite hope is no longer needed, Gatsby

feels now that he has Daisy his longing for hope has become a reality. Fitzgerald’s use of the

green light highlights Gatsby’s longing for a life with Dasiy throughout the book. As Gatsby and

Daisy reunite, the significance of the light vanishes as he feels his hope has finally become a

reality.