Instead he strives for the woman that elitism dared to create. Gatsby's efforts to protect and adore her as a symbol of materialism give him his reality. As we consider the small portion of Gatsby's pre-war past that Fitzgerald reveals, Gatsby must confront this past and he must realize the affects those experiences have had on his present behavior and personal goals. Since neither society nor the past can change, Gatsby fails. The green light now may only inhibit and squash Gatsby's dreams.
Materialism destroys the emotion that it provoked and stirred.
Book Symbolism Page last updated on April 14, 1999.