Light In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a remarkable story of hope, dreams, and truth. The narrator Nick tells us the story of Gatsby and his journeys with Gatsby through his eyes. What shapes this novel is the use of dark vs. light throughout major events of the novel to create the scene and feelings of the events occurring throughout the novel. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald uses the leitmotif of dark and light to creates an overall feeling of hope or despair in Gatsby’s character during events throughout the novel.

The first representations of light in the novel seem hopeful. The green light seen from his dock, where Gatsby would spend most of his time hoping and dreaming he would day have Daisy again. The green light is everything …show more content…
When Daisy and Gatsby finally sit and begin to talk they go to a place where it is darker. “The gray windows disappeared as the house glowed full of light ... He lit Daisy’s cigarette from a trembling match, and sat down with her on a couch far across the room, where their was no light save what the gleaming floor bounced in from the hall.” This shows how Daisy and Gatsby both have a sense of dishonesty and want to hide their love for each other because ultimately their ties together is a love affair being rekindles after five years. Though through this harsh reality a glowing light shines through to symbolize Gatsby’s glamour he shows off to Daisy to attract her back to him. As the novel continues Gatsby finds Daisy and Tom at his party. While Daisy and Gatsby venture off in there adventures together at his party, they become drastically close. Once Gatsby realizes it is time for Daisy to leave, he watches “Her glance left me and sought the lighted top of the steps ... was drifting out the open door.” As it brings this sense of new possibilities of the romance between the two of them as he watches at the top of the lit stairs. As well as a dark, sad feeling as he watches Daisy drive away with Tom and there is a sense of uneasiness that shows worry in Daisy and Gatsby that they will …show more content…
His hopes and dreams of having Daisy was once a beaming green light at the end of her dock and suddenly became the dull darkness of the night outside of her home at four o’clock in the morning as he waited for something that was ultimately never obtainable in the first place. This leitmotif dark and light not only helps depict symbols throughout the novel, but also broadcasts the feelings of Gatsby's hope and despair without Nick always being