At the beginning of the novel, Nick catches Gatsby reaching towards a green light. “I looked out to sea – and distinguished nothing except a green light, tiny and distant, which might have been the end of the pier” (26). This is a depiction of Gatsby's hopes and dreams. The green light tells him to do it. It influences him to continue fighting for Daisy. The green light also means envy. Everything Gatsby wants is right in front of him. Daisy lives in a mansion with her husband Tom, who are located right across the street from Gatsby's house. Gatsby longs for Daisy's love. Another way Fitzgerald uses green is to describe Gatsby's future wealth; his hope for a new life or a new beginning. “It was James Gatz lounging along the beach that afternoon in a torn green shirt…” (104). Before Gatsby became rich he was poor. His parents were hard workers, but they were "unsuccessful farmers" (104). Once Gatsby turned seventeen, he decided to run away, later meeting Dan Cody. Dan Cody was a wealthy man who hired Gatsby. At the time, Gatsby was known as James Gatz. As he became richer, his name also changed. We went from "James Gatz", "Jay Gats" and simply to "Gatsby". After Cody's death, to maintain Gatsby's wealth, he begins working as a bootlegger. Later in the novel we also find more envy and the reason to pursue one's hopes and dreams related to color.