There is this infamous scene in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald where Gatsby reaches towards a light, one that peaks out at the end of his dock, that always sticks out to me. Light is a motif that consistently arises throughout the book. His arm constantly stretches outward, longing for something in the distance. This light is a light that can never be obtained, though it is always wanted, which shows that Gatsby is always reaching for the unattainable. He always comes to the same spot and looks out into the distance. I believe Fitzgerald used the light to serve as a metaphor to each of us. I believe we all have this unattainable want within us that holds us back from who we are supposed to be.
Gatsby was a man who could not let go of the past and of his love for a woman named Daisy. Though his love was true, her's was tainted by her materialistic desire beneath the surface. He constantly tried to hold on to the past love they once shared in their younger years, but the more he reached the less he had, as he was so obstructed by his want that he himself as a man slipped from the present. His desire destroyed him and us as people each have our own desire that tries to destroy us.
We each hold onto something that has the capability of being our detriment. Whether it be lost love, alcoholism, addiction or what ever our conscious craves despite knowing its power. Some cry over and over for someone who will never love them. They will do anything for this person who will not lift a finger for them, hoping for that moment when they finally realize that they were everything that person wanted--but that moment won't come. It's the green light and the green light can't be obtained. Everyone has something that we crave, we reach out to it, even when knowing we never can truly hold onto to it. Even with knowing this, we still reach day after day towards our own green light. It will shine in the distance if we decide to go after it.
So I urge you to help put out some of your light and to turn your head. I once wrote "I am not the same person as I once was." Sometimes in life we are dealt with light that obstructs us from ourselves and we began to lose who we are. This is true of all of us. There are times when we all question who the person in the mirror is who stares back at us. It's good to get lost, but not to lose ourselves. We must let go of the things that we reach towards that are unattainable-- the things that are deteriorating the people we are supposed to be. Each time we reach out, we are plucking another little piece of us off. We are not to be Gatsby's reaching towards unattainable lights.
