Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the "roaring twenties" depicts the post-war generation of the newly rich and wannabes, whose extravagant lifestyles center around parties, wealth and affairs. Fitzgerald fronts his storyline with the idea of success, money and love that comes from the newly rich. However, such prosperity brings with it the complex, altered side of the "American Dream". Corruption, desire and despair penetrate through the idealism of this new society. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, depicts a man fulfilling that American dream. With a questionable background, he manages to accomplish the luxurious style of living, having almost everything he ever wanted by his own means, everything except for his one loveDaisy. Fitzgerald builds his cast around such facades while simultaneously revealing to his reader their true essence. With the use of symbolic colors; green, gold, yellow, and white, he exposes the true nature of his characters.
The most meaningful color used by Fitzgerald and depicted many times throughout the book is that of green. Green, on one hand reminds the reader of hope, lust and wealth, but on the other side, shows that of greed and envy. Gatsby emphasizes his desire and wish to win Daisy over. After achieving everything he could in life of wealth and power, he now aims to reach for Daisy's heart. In this case green stands for his never-ending hope for her affection. Gatsby stretches "out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way trembling" (25). Gatsby watches over the water many times, reaching to Daisy. When Nick sees Gatsby he "glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away" (26). The light embodies Gatsby's hope of one day obtaining Daisy. Gatsby never gives up his hope for Daisy because he "believes in the green light" (189), and believes one day Daisy will be his.