The Green Light

Question 1

Initial Symbolism

Answer 1

• Represents Gatsby’s unwavering love for Daisy.
• Symbolizes unrealistic hope and aspiration.

Question 2

Evolution of Symbolism

Answer 2

• Initially embodies Gatsby’s desperate pursuit of the American Dream and Daisy.
• Later, represents the futility and inaccessibility of the American Dream.

Question 3

Connection to Old Money

Answer 3

• Like Daisy, the green light symbolizes something desirable yet out of reach for Gatsby.
• Represents the barrier between Gatsby’s newfound wealth and the old money elite.

Question 4

After Gatsby’s Death

Answer 4

• Symbolizes the destructive power of money and the American Dream.
• Reflects how the pursuit of wealth and status ultimately leads to ruin.

Question 5

Comparison to Early Settlers

Answer 5

• Reflects Gatsby’s longing for a better future and his pursuit of the American Dream.
• Highlights the theme of unattainable desires and aspirations.

Question 6

Composition of Forces

Answer 6

• Composed of cynicism and materialism, leading to its eventual disintegration.

Question 7

Jealousy and Wealth Symbolism

Answer 7

• Represents Gatsby’s love sickness and desire for wealth.
• Reflects the intertwining of love and money in Gatsby’s life.

Question 8

Haunting and Beckoning

Answer 8

• Symbolizes the distance between Gatsby and his dreams.
• Represents the gap between past, present, and future.

Question 9

Diminishing Power

Answer 9

• Over the novel, the green light’s significance diminishes, reflecting the corruption of the wealthy elite.

Question 10

Dream vs. Reality

Answer 10

• While a dream to Gatsby, it’s insignificant to the upper-class elites, emphasizing its fleeting nature.

Question 11

Quote 1)

Answer 11

“Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.”

Question 12

Quote 2)

Answer 12

“You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.”

Question 13

Quote 3)

Answer 13

“[H]e stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way.”

Question 14

Quote 4)

Answer 14

“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.”

Question 15

Quote 5)

Answer 15

“And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world…. And as I sat there, brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out Daisy’s light at the end of his dock. He had come such a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close he could hardly fail to grasp it. But what he did not know was that it was already behind him, somewhere in the vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.”