Choose a symbol from "The Great Gatsby." Explain what it means literally as well as its significance to the text.
One symbol from "The Great Gatsby" is the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock. Literally, the green light is a beacon that Gatsby looks towards from his mansion across the bay, which represents his hope and dreams for the future, particularly his desire to be with Daisy again.
The green light holds significance in the text as it represents Gatsby's unattainable pursuit of the American Dream and his relentless pursuit of Daisy. It symbolizes Gatsby's longing for a better life, his ambition, and his idealized vision of the future. The green light also serves as a reminder of the vast social and economic divide between Gatsby and Daisy, as well as the impossibility of recapturing the past. Ultimately, the green light becomes a haunting symbol of Gatsby's failure to achieve his dreams and the elusive nature of the American Dream itself.