Green Light In The Great Gatsby

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has sold more than 25 million copies since its publication in 1925. The popularity of this quintessential American novel is astounding, as it deserves to remain on ‘The Top 100 Novels of All Time’ list composed by TIME Magazine; due to the fact that the novel continues to appear on book shelves worldwide and contains modern, relatable and strong themes. However, Fitzgerald’s novel was not always considered a classic of twentieth-century American fiction. When published in 1925, The Great Gatsby sold a disappointing 21,000 copies; this was less than half of the sales of Fitzgerald’s first two novels, This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and Dammed. A review from James Topham describes the novel as …show more content…

The green light is referenced repeatedly throughout The Great Gatsby as a symbol of hope. Situated at the end of Daisy and Tom’s East Egg dock and visible from Gatsby’s West Egg lawn, the light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associated the light with his love for Daisy and if he attained her, he would have fulfilled his version of the American Dream. The first time the green light appears in the novel also coincidently is the first time Nick sees Gatsby. Nick described Gatsby’s actions as, ‘…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… except a single green light, minute and far away’. The recurring symbolism of the green light and optimism reflects aspirations of many readers, thus The Great Gatsby warrants a permanent spot on the ‘The Top 100 Novels of All Time’ list composed by TIME …show more content…

Following the theme of the Jazz Age, the novel highlights the immoral behaviour which takes place with the characters of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom and Jordan. The novel is a quintessential and vivid peek into the life of American’s during this time period in history while providing countless symbols and metaphors to unravel. For this reason, in modern society The Great Gatsby should remain on the ‘The Top 100 Novels of All Time’ list composed by TIME Magazine as it continues to be a classic twentieth-century novel of American

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