Scott Fitzgerald illuminates "The Great Gatsby" with light, highlighting the glitz; similarly, the absence of light accentuates the grit of the novel. Sunlight, starlight and moonlight are all plentiful in Nick Carraway's account, but so is twilight – that period of time when the sun has just set and the stars and moon have not yet risen. Artificial light is just as significant, most notably seen in the oft-mentioned green light that the titular character takes special notice of. At the same time, dark streets, unlighted by street lamps, recur in the novel.
There is an interplay between light and every individual in The Great Gatsby. The first time it is mentioned is in relation to Daisy, or more accurately, her house. Her house is described with an abundance of light: windows glowing with reflected light, sunny porches and candles. Daisy says "Why candles?in two weeks it'll be the longest day of the year. Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and miss it? I always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it." While a seemingly insignificant piece of idle chatter, it shows her disdain for artificial light in favour of daylight. Daisy herself is described as "glowing" under the sunshine, which appears to be part of what enthrals Nick – at least until the "glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk." From the very beginning, Daisy is linked to daylight, and its association of pleasant charm.
Gatsby also has major interactions with light in the novel. There is an echo to Daisy's introduction: it starts with his house. However, as if in direct contrast, his house is illuminated not with any sort of natural light during Nick's first significant encounter with it; instead, his estate is lighted with "enough coloured lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby's enormous garden.
