Some symbolisms in novels are as memorable as the green light in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Shining at the end of Daisy's dock, it's close enough to see, but too far to reach. Yet Gatsby, eternal optimist, looks at her at night, as if she were showing him that all his distant dreams were about to come true. The green light in The Great Gatsby is a symbol of hope, a source of inspiration, and a representation of the American dream for Gatsby and for the novel's readers. Gatsby's aspirations reflect the times. The "Roaring Twenties", as they are called, were a time of prosperity, and Americans were obsessed with acquiring wealth and believed that "those who have wealth should be splendid and happy people" (Gross 5) . Gatsby embodies this state of mind: born into a poor family, he considered himself superior to it, and his quest for the American dream led to his own destruction. Gatsby was so obsessed with his dream, his money, and Daisy, that he decided to acquire her by any means possible. His obsession with Daisy is actually an extension of his obsession with money. It represents Gatsby's dreams: money, luxury, status (Rimmer). Someone might mistakenly believe that The Great Gatsby is a love story, that all Gatsby did was to win Daisy's love, but the truth is that he desires her for her status. , he wants her to be the last piece of the puzzle so that she finally transforms into Jay Gatsby, the Oxford high society man. “The sordid romance with Daisy is Fitzgerald's means of showing Gatsby the intolerable cheapness of his dream and illusion” (Bewley 26). In the novel, the first time Nick sees Gatsby, he searches for "one green light, minute and far, it could have been the end of a job...... middle of paper ......ams , even if you have to die for it. Works Cited Bewley, Marius. “Fitzgerald’s View on Class and the American Dream.” Class conflict in F. Scott Fitzgerald the Great Gatsby. Ed. Claudia Johnson. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2007. 23-29.Print.Danzer, Gerald et al. “The crazy life of the 1920s.” The Americans. Eveston: McDougal Little, 2003.638-657. Print.Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print. Gross, Dalton and Maryjean Gross. Understanding The Great Gatsby. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. Print. Kazin, Alfred. “Gatsby and the Failure of the American Dream.” Notes from The Great Gatsby Bloom by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomal: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. 30-31. Print.Rimmer, Sara. "Gatsby's Green Light Signals New Set of Efforts." The New York Times. February 17, 2008. Web. May 2, 2014.