When Nick sees Gatsby for the first time at the end of his dock, what is Gatsby looking at across the water? What does it ultimately symbolize? How does the symbolism change as the story goes on?

Answer and explanation:

"The Great Gatsby" is a novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nick, the narrator, ends up getting involved in the affairs of his neighbor, Gatsby, and his own family - Daisy, his cousin, and Tom, Daisy's husband.

When Nick first sees Gatsby, Gatsby is staring and reaching out to a green light that shines on the other side of the bay, in front of Daisy's house. The green light symbolizes the hopes and dreams Gatsby has kept for years, the drive he has to fight for what he believes should belong to him. The green light is, wealth, recognition, importance, Daisy's love, everything Gatsby has always wanted, but that life has prevented him from having.

However, as the story progresses, the green light ends up changing its symbolism. When Gatsby has Daisy as his lover, the green light is no longer important. He does mention it to Daisy once, but she does not even know there is such a green light in front of her house. To Gatsby, who now seems to have everything, the green light has lost its meaning, its appeal. After everything goes to shambles, Nick analyzes the green light as a representation of the American dream and its corruption. The green light sort of becomes the light that both attracts and kills the moth.