Wants, Desires & Symbols

In The Great Gatsby, symbolism adds depth to the story without casting confusion.

The representations are presented and sometimes even explained through the characters.

Our own society too has many symbols which reflect who we are in a similar manner as

the symbols in the novel did.

Although there are many symbols in this book, perhaps one of the most striking is

the green light on the end of the Buchanan dock. This light represents hope and dreams to

Gatsby. It shows his love for Daisy and his need for a companion, or in Gatsby's words,

"He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way...Involuntarily, I

glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light...that might have

been the end of a dock." The green light could be seen from the back of Gatsby's house.

This represents all that is unobtainable in life. The one thing that is in sight, but not within

your reach.

The green light......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Great Gatsby-Sybolism
Approximate Word Count: 754
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Great Gatsby-Sybolism, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!