Lost in Darkness: An In-Depth look at "The Great Gatsby"

F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby, can be best described as a story about how a dream can destroy person's life. As he concludes the book, he manages to summarize Jay Gatsby's life in a couple of sentences, as seen below:

"And I sat there brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and hist dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. (180)"

Despite Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby's narrator and main protagonist, being the titular character's only true friend, it is clear that he never understood the mysterious individual. In the opening sentence, Fitzgerald uses the words "brooding" and "unknown world" in a figurative way, referring to Gatsby. His usage of the word brooding (showing deep unhappiness of thought) refers to Gatsby's life, always filled with disappointment, sadness and suffering he had to endure all his life. However by comparing the character to the world, he could be referencing his complex personality or perhaps his larger than life attitude. 

Much like the reader in the beginning of the novel, Nick is filled with wonder upon the symbolical meaning behind the green light, piercing the darkness with its green glow. Despite later on in the book the light's origin is revealed (Daisy's dock), its true significance is never revealed. Gatsby leaning out and attempting to reach it could be seen as both a romantic gesture towards his love or a manifestation of his dreams and expectations. 

As a character Gatsby had to overcome a lot of obstacles in order to become who he is, the opulent and flamboyant protagonist. Despite being so close to achieving a place in Daisy's heart, destiny always was one step ahead. This misfortune is what made him who he is: a dream that turned into an obsession, an obsession which transformed James Gatz to Jay Gatby.  It is interesting to note that Fitzgerald describes Gatsby's lawn as being blue, however after a little researching he may be referring to Kentucky blue grass. This type of grass is particularly known for being of higher quality and having an appropriately high cost. The grass could be seen as an obscure symbol for Gatsby's fortune or the extents he goes to transmitting his wealth to others.

As one reads the novel, one might wonder whether Gatsby knows that Daisy is out of his reach, and has been for a very long time. Nick shamelessly says this in a way that compares Gatsby's life to the city laying in "vast obscurity". Before he came to fulfill his dream of being unimaginably rich, no one knew who he was. This also applies to Daisy, and her memories she had with Gatsby, leaving him nearly forgotten in the dark corners of her subconscious. It can be said that by seeing how successful Gatsby became, her newly formed image of him brought back the feelings and recollection of Gatsby.