The Great Gatsby, is a classic novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald which was published in the year of 1925.This novel was published during one of the glamorous ages in time, the Roaring Twenties. The Great Gatsby has seen great success; not only has it been adapted into a Hollywood film, but into a Broadway play as well. The story's setting is in the North Shore of Long Island, New York in the year of 1922. One reason for the novel's success is due to the fact that it uses ample amounts of symbolism. One of the symbolism used in the novel is that the use green light. The green light is used as a symbol to represent wild and recklessness of this era (Roaring Twenties), a combination of selfishness and materialism, and a sense of hope and promise of the future.

First of all, the green light represents that the Roaring Twenties was a period change. There were major changes in the society which majorly impacted the women of the era. This was the time when women for the first time were drinking, and smoking alongside the guys. The “women's” war on gaining individual rights was over, and so were their troubles in gaining these rights. The green light for them means go. Just like what the green light represents on the traffic signal. After most wars, the economy experiences a major boom. The women are overconfident in this time period. The reason is because they think that whatever they do is right, and they will do whatever it takes to push away their conflicts that intervene their path. Also, the women did not care what happens to others as long as they remained unrivaled against and not messed with. Just like the women of this period, Daisy did not care what her husband, Tom, thought about her. Daisy, in many occasions did define how the women of this era were. She would go to Gatsby's house alone by herself, and meet with him. Before, women were not allowed to go anywhere by themselves, but now women were starting to in a sense rebel against their own traditional morals. In addition, Daisy shows us this because she represents the people that she socializes with. So, the first meaning of the green light used in the novel represents the wild changes of era such as women doing activities that were not previously accepted, and Daisy represents this interpretation in many occasions.

Secondly, a sense of selfishness and materialism is shown that represents this green light. Once Gatsby achieves his dreams and Daisy is now seeing him on a regular basis, he does not know what to do. Just like a little child falling in love for the first time. This whole time he wanted her so much and he couldn’t get her, he was in a sense dreaming that the green light would shine on him. As soon as the green light shined on him, he could not help but go further, stretch his arms just a little further, and ask Daisy to leave her husband. In the hotel scene Daisy says to Jay, “Oh, you want to much! I love you know---isn’t that enough?”(Fitzgerald 139). He lived the American Dream, but ends up dieing from being too selfish, and greedy.

The green light also represents materialism. Tom is a good example of showing the characteristic of being materialistic. He was born into wealth, and went to a prominent college. His life is set up, he has wealth, a beautiful wife, a child, a lavish lifestyle, and no worries. His decision to have extra-marital affairs is a key example of “stretching his arms”, and putting himself into a hole. Gatsby follows Daisy from the time he arrives back until the day he actually has his dreams come true and he meets her. She is symbolized by the green light at the end of her dock. The people's love for the color green is because it is the color of money. Money is an important factor in this novel. When Gatsby flaunts his money around he gets people’s attention. When he dies and can no longer shine his green light, the attention dies too. The New York society is very materialistic, and Gatsby has everything someone in a material world could want; a huge house, servants, lots of cars, fame, and extra money to throw around to parties and house guests. He has everything except personal satisfaction. He knows that Daisy is the answer, and she is represented in the light. In a way, the far-off green light represents all that is not obtainable by Gatsby. Those are his fantasy. He has already conquered a material world, and all that drives him in this novel has to do with him gaining the green light and having Daisy shine from his dock.

Thirdly, the green light used in the novel to represent hope. In Gatsby's case, the hope is Daisy. He wants Daisy like a kid who wants candy; Gatsby is willing to do anything to get Daisy at any cost. Green represents hope and renewal. As long as there is a green light, Gatsby has permission to move forward and attempt to attain his dream (Daisy). The irony is that Daisy is not the one who has placed this light out there for him. Carraway, as our narrator, describes the light as "minute and far away" (Gatsby 16), foreshadowing that even as the book starts, any real chance of Gatsby actually completing the dream are also minute and far away, even though they are within his grasp. When that light goes out at the end of the novel (the realization at least to Nick), hope is also gone, and foreshadows Gatsby's tragic end. So, the sense of hope that gave Gatsby the strive to gain Daisy ends. It was just a little sense to help him basically live the ideal American Dream, but he went too far causing him to put himself in a hole that he could not get out of.

In conclusion, the green light represented many different things. It represented what the women were experiencing during the Roaring Twenties, and Daisy is the clear definite answer to this statement she represents exactly what she was experiencing from her socializing. Selfishness and materialism were also the other interpretations of the green light. Both Gatsby, and Tom defines this. Gatsby shows selfishness by gaining Daisy, but does not know what to do when he gains her love. Tom is just too materialistic due to his money. Lastly, the sense of hope that drove Gatsby towards daisy was just a false picture that did nothing, but demolish Gatsby's life.