Envy In The Great Gatsby

The phrase “Green with Envy” is relatable in more than one way the the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance (Merriam-Webster). The story is set in the early twentieth century, a time referred to as the “Roaring Twenties.” A very affluent young man by the name of Jay Gatsby, who pursues a now love with an old flame, Daisy. Daisy Buchanan, loves Jay and always has, but she is married to Tom Buchanan and has a daughter with him, Pammy. Tom is not faithful to Daisy as he should be and he does not treat her like he knows he should. On more than one occasion Tom injures Daisy. She knows in her
Gatsby's wealth is represented when the narrator talks about some of his possessions and his famous parties: “On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains” (39). It is not particularly normal to own a “Rolls-Royce,” which is solely a symbol of Gatsby’s wealth. The readers can believe that though Gatsby is not born into an extremely wealthy family, he makes his way up from nothing to something. On the contrary, Mr. Buchanan is indeed born into a family of much wealth and he shows it in an obnoxious way: “Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they'll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white" (130). Not only is this quote is an incredibly defining moment as it is when the audience begins to understand what Tom really thinks about certain people. Tom’s quote about men of different race shows that his wealth, which is a characteristic of the green light, does indeed have an influence on how he looks at people. Jay Gatsby is severely envious of Tom and Daisy's relationship, as the following quote proves: “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 – to-morrow we will run farther, stretch out our arms farther…." (180). In the quote, the light represented the idealistic future Gatsby wants with Daisy. The illusion the famous green light holds in Mr. Gatsby’s mind leads the readers to believe that he is delusional for holding out hope for he and Daisy as she is now married with a daughter. Through the details within the quotes above, readers can conclude that Gatsby is not exactly on a shortage of money and neither is Tom