Green Light
As Nick is prepared to leave New York, he catches another glance of the green light from West Egg. The light represents the failure of the American Dream, and Gatsby's unwillingness to give up on his dream despite the impossibility. From where Gatsby stood, the light is very clear and visible, but impossible to grab from his position, much like Gatsby's hope for his future with Daisy. "I thought of Gatsby's wonder when first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him" (Fitzgerald 180).
Gatsby's Mansion
Gatsby's mansion is described very differently than how it was before. It was always known as large glowing mansion filled with life and parties, however, now it is described as a "huge incoherent failure of a house once more. On the white steps an obscene word, scrawled by some boy with a piece of brick, stood out clearly in the moonlight. " (Fitzgerald 179-180). Gatsby's mansion in many of the previous chapters symbolized a fantasy world, isolated from poverty and reality. After Gatsby starts to become in touch with the reality of his dreams, his house starts to show the effects too, and no longer represents the utopia it used to be.
Colour Symbolism: Blue
Throughout the book blue symbolizes the illusions of wealth and the American dream.
When Nick is leaving New York, he says "so when blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air and the wind blew the wet laundry stiff on the line I decided to come home" (FItzgerald 176). The "blue smoke" in the air of New York symbolizes the illusion of the American dream. Many people are drawn towards New York in hopes of attaining the American dream, but always fall short of their goal because the American dream is an illusion which is unattainable.
Gatsby's "blue lawn" (Fitzgerald 180) symbolizes an illusion of happiness that wealth creates. Gatsby's lawn, and many other things in his house bought with his riches would be expected to make people happy. However, this happiness bought with Gatsby's wealth is only an illusion because real happiness for Gatsby lies within his dreams of having a future with Daisy.
When Nick is leaving New York, he says "so when blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air and the wind blew the wet laundry stiff on the line I decided to come home" (FItzgerald 176). The "blue smoke" in the air of New York symbolizes the illusion of the American dream. Many people are drawn towards New York in hopes of attaining the American dream, but always fall short of their goal because the American dream is an illusion which is unattainable.
Gatsby's "blue lawn" (Fitzgerald 180) symbolizes an illusion of happiness that wealth creates. Gatsby's lawn, and many other things in his house bought with his riches would be expected to make people happy. However, this happiness bought with Gatsby's wealth is only an illusion because real happiness for Gatsby lies within his dreams of having a future with Daisy.
East Egg
East egg is full of old money. It is full of people who did nothing to deserve their riches instead they inherited it from their family. Nick originally liked East egg. He saw it as a place where wealth flourished and people lived in luxury. He was "keenly aware of its superiority" (Fitzgerald 176). Throughout the novel, his view on east egg changes. The place which he once loved had changed to a place which has lost all moral values. Instead of the hard working people of west egg who had to earn their money, Nick describes east egg as a painting with "a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque" and "four solemn men in dress suits walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman in a white evening dress."(FItzgerald 176). He sees it as a place full of wealth, but absent of honesty, integrity, and moral values.
Weather
"About five o'clock our procession of three cars reached the cemetery and stopped in a think drizzle beside the gate - first a motor hearse, horribly black and wet, then Mr. Gatz and the minister and I in the limousine, and a little later four or five servants and the postman from West Egg in Gatsby's station wagon, all wet to the skin" (Fitzgerald 174).
The weather in this chapter is sad, miserable, and demonstrates pathetic fallacy on the sorrow created by the death of the American dream. The environment itself creates a gloomy atmosphere that helps create the sorrow mood present in the chapter, due to the death of the great Gatsby.
The weather in this chapter is sad, miserable, and demonstrates pathetic fallacy on the sorrow created by the death of the American dream. The environment itself creates a gloomy atmosphere that helps create the sorrow mood present in the chapter, due to the death of the great Gatsby.