The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of a man of little wealth who chases his dreams, only to find them crumbling before him when they are finally achieved. Young James Gatz had always dreamed of belonging to the upper class, he didn't just want to have wealth, but he wanted to live the way the rich lived. At a young age he ran away from home; along the way he met Dan Cody, a wealthy sailor who taught him much of what he would later use to give the world the impression that he was rich. After becoming a soldier, Gatsby met an upper-class girl named Daisy: the two fell in love. When he returned from the war, Daisy had grown impatiently waiting for him and married a man named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby now has two coinciding dreams to chase: wealth and love. The symbols of the story, such as the green light at the end of Daisy's pier, the contrast between East Egg and West Egg, and the death of Myrtle, Gatsby, and Wilson work together to expose a larger theme in the story. Gatsby develops this idea that wealth can bring anything: status, love, and even the past; but what Gatsby doesn't understand is that wealth can only bring you a certain limit, and it is this fatal mistake that leads to the death of his dreams. The green light at the end of the Buchanan Pier symbolizes Gatsby's lust for wealth and power, and also his dream of having Daisy. The interpretation that stands out the most is that green is the color of money, so Gatsby's motivations are fueled by the wealthy status of someone in the East Egg that he would also like to have. However, just like his dreams, the light is very “tiny and distant” (30). Gatsby throws lavish parties, lives his life in luxury, and deludes himself that he is upper class... paper... once upon a time... but I loved you too." (171). It is in this moment of shock that Gatsby realizes that everything he had dreamed about for his future was actually his past. On the other hand, Daisy manages to face the reality of life and live in the present failed. The last thing is the best Gatsby's friend, Nick, manages to tell him before he is killed is: “They're a rotten crowd, you're worth the whole damn bunch put together” (198). This shows that Gatsby, even though he is rich, has a lot more to look forward to in his life than others. It's not exactly a compliment, but it definitely states that it's better than the others. However, the thing that kills Gatsby is his desire for intangible things like love and status, which he believed he could only acquire with wealth. His death is the symbol of his inability to realize his dreams.