Gatsby & Daisy

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning- so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Fitzgerald)

          This is the last line of The Great Gatsby and it symbolizes Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Gatsby spent many nights staring across the bay toward a green light. The green light can be seen as Daisy’s love for Gatsby and how he it is something that he will never be able to obtain. All Gatsby sees is this light, but it is always across the bay and therefore unobtainable. He describes the light as orgastic to show that it is the climax of his desires and passions. Daisy eluded Gatsby then, and he is still trying to reach it thinking that if he runs faster with stretched out arms he might one day get to her. ‘Running faster’ and ‘stretched out arms’ are symbolic of material wealth as well as how Gatsby is chasing his dreams. Gatsby thinks that if he gets wealthier Daisy will love him. And so Gatsby continues to fight for her without realizing that this dream is a delusion. The last line states, “We beat on, boats against the current”. Boats against the current is a metaphor for how futile Gatsby dream is. His dream is a boat sailing against the current; the current always wins. Not only is his dream of Daisy’s love futile but detrimental as well. He is “borne back ceaselessly into the past” in which he has nothing. He came from a poor family with nothing and now, although he has all this material wealth, he still has nothing. All his efforts were for naught and his dream running ahead with out-stretched is actually dragging him backwards.