The Great Gatsby Discussion

[lgcsrock]

So I recently read The Great Gatsby, and I wanted to ask a few questions. My Language Arts teacher in response to the quote " So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (189). " said that Fitzgerald wanted the reader to follow his or her dreams, but the feeling I got was you should not follow your dreams. Gatsby followed his dreams and look where that got him in the end. What do you get from that quote? I had a sad feeling after reading the book, and ended up disliking all the characters. Another question: " No- Gatsby turned out all right at the end... (5)." I was thinking maybe Nick said that in the beginning of the book because Gatsby was finally free from his drive for Daisy and success, and Nick in the point of writing that quote was dissatisfied with the world. What do you think?

[Charles Darnay]

As to whether the first quote promotes or discourages one from following their dreams - I don't think this is the point. It is more that we will, whether we want to or not, be drawn into the past - into our hopes and dreams, and our losses.

[lgcsrock]

Thanks Charles! I never thought of it that way. That may also be the reason why Nick moved away at the end. Nick realized that people do get drawn into there past but decide to take a different path then Gatsby. Nick instead of living in the past decide to learn from the past.

[Charles Darnay]

Nick moved away at the end because he was fed up with the selfish New York life style.

When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart”

This pretty much explains it all.

[kelby_lake]

Thanks Charles! I never thought of it that way. That may also be the reason why Nick moved away at the end. Nick realized that people do get drawn into there past but decide to take a different path then Gatsby. Nick instead of living in the past decide to learn from the past.

I think Nick might still be in love with the past.