Reread the last few pages of The Great Gatsby, there are a number of stand-out quotes. What is your favorite and what do you think it means?
Bailey F p2
2/18/2014 11:34:32 pm
I really enjoyed the end of the novel. My favorite quote is when Fitzgerald states: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning—" (Fitzgerald 180). This quote shows readers that Gatsby never gave up on his dreams and goals. He believed in the green light, or in other words, he believed that he would one day be back with Daisy. He always had parties in hope to see her there. He stood outside staring at the light wishing he could have her. Eventually he did see her and get to talk to her. His dreams turned into reality. But then after struggling for so long, his life was taken away suddenly, and so were his dreams.
James J P:2
2/19/2014 12:09:25 am
My favorite quote appears when Nick is talking about Tom and Daisy, saying, " They were careless people. . . They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money . . . and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . ." (Fitzgerald 179). Life isn't fair; and it's not fair that Tom and Daisy were barely affected by these traumatic events even though it was their actions that started them. They use their money as a cushion to protect them from their mistakes. And because they are protected like that, they never learn from them, for it is known that drama like this happened before hand as well, in Chicago, which is why they left. It can also be seen in the finale when Tom enters the jewelry store to but jewlry that is most likely for another mistress. I believe that the last scene on chapter 7 can represent this cushion. As there is chaos outside (Myrtle is already dead, Gatsby is worried sick about Daisy, an Nick is busy trying to take in all that just happened) Daisy and Tom are inside their warm, cozy house; together, holding hands and talking things over. They do not pay attention to all the chaos that they caused outside. They are selfish, and focus on themselves, while being shielded by their money (their house).
Amanna V (4)
2/19/2014 01:19:42 am
I agree that Daisy and Tom use their money as a shield. They both think that because they are wealthy and have status that they can do whatever they want without having to deal with the aftermath. I also agree with your statement that life isn't fair. I think this applies especially with the wealthy. Because they have the money and the power they usually dont get blamed for their mistakes, while the lesser do.
James Jones P:2
2/19/2014 11:30:36 am
Wait; the above paragraph is my comment, not my reply.
Conrad
2/20/2014 02:48:31 am
I like that quote as well. I find it interesting that Nick cuts it off before finishing it. Why?
James J P:2
2/20/2014 10:47:55 am
I have two ideas as to why he didn't finish the quotation: one of them is that, in the middle of that thought, Nick realizes that he is judging Tom and Daisy, so he stops before his accusations become even worse. While talking with Tom, Nick becomes very angry, which can lead to hateful judgment, and is what Nick's thought sounded like (even though it is true). My other idea is that, even though their actions were in the past, the cut off leads the reader to infer that Daisy and Tom will run into the same problems again because they never learn from their mistakes. Their money shields them from the consequences of their irresponsible actions, which allows them to keep living recklessly.
Emma S. 2
2/19/2014 01:03:21 am
I really enjoyed this novel as a whole. I learned a lot about life and saw a new perspective on how life should be looked at. One of my favorite quotes on the last page of the novel is, "to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..." (Fitzgerald 180). To me, this quote is telling the readers to always try harder the next day. Do not let the things from the day before affect what you do that day; those things are in the past and cannot be changed. Stretch your arms out to newer things. Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to achieve something, you never know, it might be worth it.
Lizzy K P4
2/19/2014 06:00:10 am
I agree with you completely. This quote has so much meaning behind it.The characters who posed as Gatsby's friends while he was still alive were not there for him after his death. I felt bad for Gatsby, but this quote gave hope, telling me that there is always something good to come.
Rachel H. Period 4
2/19/2014 07:30:33 am
I completely agree with you, Emma! I had annotated this quote as well, because I thought it was extremely significant. It is like the saying "If at first you don't succeed, try try again." I feel like with this, they were able to continue on with their future, try new things, or even try harder the next day. Though things that are in the past contribute to the future, they should not let it affect them, because what is done is done, and I think this quote does a significant job of explaining this.
Kelsey J 1
2/19/2014 07:52:38 am
I also have to agree with you because this novel is simply the story of Gatsby trying to get what he had back when Daisy was no longer married. If he had acted that day we can infer that things would be much different. Fitzgerald wants us to take away that tomorrow we should do what we want, or even better do it today because we may not have time tomorrow. This essence of time is commonly used throughout the novel such as when Gatsby "turned and caught (the clock) with trembling fingers" (69).
Miranda L Period 4
2/19/2014 12:09:00 pm
I agree with you too. The novel is mostly focused on Gatsby's attempt to get Daisy back and start a new life, but he is never able to do that in the end.
Caleb S, Period 5
2/25/2014 12:41:12 pm
Kelsey like what you said the story is about. I agree that is about Gatsby trying to get what he had back. And that makes me think, isn't that what all men do when something they want was take. They do whatever it takes to get it back. I agree with what you said, that Fitzgerald "wants us to take away that tomorrow we should do what we want, or even better do it today because we may not have time tomorrow".
Ryan F 2
2/19/2014 12:25:09 pm
I agree with what you're saying, that quote sums up the novel well. Nick stretched out his arms when he went to Gatsby's party because he had years of opportunities he could have just showed up. He got invited one day, went to the party, and his life definitely got more exciting from that day onward.
Noelle Sather- Period 4
2/20/2014 10:24:27 am
I agree with you Emma! That is an awesome quote. it not only tells readers to try harder and not let the past affect them, but it also gives off a positive, determined vibe. This is a great quote to be put at the end of the novel because it leaves the reader a reassuring feeling that everything will eventually be okay and work itself out.
Bri D. Period 2
2/20/2014 01:00:01 pm
I absolutely agree with you here. People need to open their arms to new things and not be so closed off. People get comfortable to a routine and soon forget to try new things, but everyone needs to open their minds to new adventures to learn and progress as a person.
Ambreen M (Period 1)
2/20/2014 01:35:15 pm
I absolutely agree with you, Emma, reading this book made me look at things through many different perspectives. Each character had a completely different outlook towards things and you could see each point from each person.
Matt R period 2
2/19/2014 01:15:10 am
My favorite quote of the whole ending is the last two lines, because they sum up the novel as a whole. Nick ends by saying "we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly in the past. Gatsby always moved toward the green light and wanted it more than anything. However, Daisy is in the past and Gatsby was simply searching for something that could not be recovered--time. That is where Nick's quote comes in because we do live in the past too much, and try and fix things against the current of possibility. This line teaches a large theme in the story that you cannot live too much in the past or future.
Alexis B. Period 1
2/19/2014 08:31:13 am
I agree with you, and I really liked this end quote because it left the reader feeling inspirational. Although, a number of characters ended up passing away, the end lines show that there is a life lesson within all the events of the story. I think you're exactly right that it teaches the reader that you cant live in the past or future because life is unexpected and you cant base your life off of something that happened in the past, or something that hasn't even happened yet
TJ A. period 2
2/20/2014 08:27:50 pm
That's weird because I wasn't so much inspired as I was dumbfounded by the realization. Through all of the events of the books, all the deaths and sin and treachery, it was all for a singular dream we all strove for. These last to lines infer that despite all this, we still strive for these dreams. The words, "we beat on, boats against the current" (Fitzgerald 189) show as humans, we simply refuse to give up on this overly-ambitious dream despite knowing the consequences full well.
Emma S. 2
2/20/2014 10:36:30 am
I completely agree with you Matt. People tend to live in the past because , for me at least, it is always in the back of your mind. I always seem to think about how I could of changed things and forget to live in the moment.
Ryan C 4
2/26/2014 03:58:04 am
I agree with TJ here. The above quote, to me, says that everyone in this novel has experienced a lot (in some cases, more than they can handle, mind you). They almost feel a need to forget the events of the summer, starting with not attending Gatsby's funeral. They move on from this, and forget that it has ever happened.
Alyssa Z. period 4
2/20/2014 01:31:53 pm
I chose this quote as well Matt. I agree with your perception of it resembling not living in the past and how people need to stop trying to change things that cannot be changed. I liked the way you used time to resemble this as well as the green light as what Gatsby strived for in the current of the bay.
Amanna V (4)
2/19/2014 01:15:24 am
My favorite quote would be when Nick says, "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all - Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan, and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly adaptable to Eastern life." (Fitzgerald 176). I think this quote applies to most of the people living in the 20's. This quote especially applies to Nick because this rich, lavish, and corrupt environment is not suitable for someone like him to live in. They all, in some way, have morals and a sense of religion which is different from the society that surronds them in New York. They all are not superficial and have dreams that they wish to achieve, while everyone around them lives for the moment and don't think about the consequences and the impact their actions have on people besides themselves. I think Fitzgerald is trying to say that with urbanization, the individual looses a lot of their morals and good upbringing.
Nick Wolf
2/19/2014 11:56:22 am
I really like this quote too, and I agree with how you interpreted it. The whole idea of "urbanization" is all about how people think people should behave, and how this has a chain reaction. Gatsby knows that people think that a man's grass should be uniform and proper, so this leads him to believe that Nick's lawn needs to be "fixed." However, the disarray that is Nick's lawn is not harming anyone, only being judged.
Nick Wolf
2/19/2014 11:56:36 am
Carissa C. P4
2/19/2014 03:12:48 am
My favorite quote has to be when Nick says, "He [Gatsby] did not know that it [Gatsby's dream] was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." (Fitzgerald 169). I think the quote represents how people long for the past and are desperate if they want more time with the people they love. By people living in the past, they cannot live in the future and fully enjoy their lives. With Nick stating this, I feel that it shows a journey with character development and how they have changed, including the start of moral corruption.
Jen M. P1
2/19/2014 03:48:03 am
Looking at the quote you chose, I feel as if it could represent a form of character development as you say, but the fact that Gatsby "did not know that [his dream] was already behind him," also shows a sort of staticness in his character. He was unwilling to move on, to get past his love for Daisy, and truly live out the life he could've made for himself with all of his good fortune and circumstances.
Emily F 5
2/19/2014 11:22:30 pm
Carissa, I agree with you that Gatsby’s refusal to live in the present is what causes some of the corruption in the story. Gatsby spends so much time trying to recreate the past that he doesn’t understand the future that well. However, time does not stop for anyone and people are “borne back carelessly into the past” (Fitzgereld 189). Although it seems almost as though time stopped for Gatsby when he was away from Daisy and he believed he could relive the past; he could not, and therefore caused conflict.
Rachel VW Period5
2/21/2014 12:16:54 am
I really like this quote as well. I think that its shows that people can be blinded by their false sense of reality in their own mind. I think this is very obvious when it happens to Gatsby. He has this dream that Daisy will eventually return and love him again. This dream will not happpen but Gatsby never gives up on it. He neever lets the dream fade even though his life could be easier if he just let go of her.
Emily F 5
2/19/2014 03:38:37 am
My favorite quote from the last few pages of The Great Gatsby was the very last sentence: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (189). I think that this quote is talking about time. The current is the present that turns into the past; it is always happening. The present is constantly becoming the past and everyone (the boats) try to continue to fight it to be in the present and the future, but eventually one can’t keep up and they get caught up on the past.
Renick W. 1
2/19/2014 12:45:59 pm
I did not think about that originally, but I do really like the way that you interpreted the quote. It perfectly describes how Gatsby was living the past five years of his life. He was trying to relive the good ole days when Daisy was his, and he got so caught up in that that he let the ability to live in the present.
Bailey F p2
2/20/2014 12:14:30 am
I agree with you Emily, and I also really liked the quote: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (Fitzgerald 189). I didnt originally look at it the same as you either, but I do now that you mentioned it. The present is always becoming the past, and when one continues to fight the present, they end up getting caught in the past. Gatsby is a really good example of this happening. He doesnt really live in the moment or for the future. He is more concerned with living in the past, and trying to recreate something that happened before.
Kevin H
2/20/2014 12:47:34 pm
I like how you interpreted this quote, with the present always turning into the past, and I agree with that, but I think there is another message that Fitzgerald is trying to teach through this. Earlier on that page, it says "[Gatsby's] dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him" What I think Fitzgerald is trying to say these two quotes is that Gatsby, and people in general, are restricted from moving forward into the future because their dreams are based on experiences of the past that cannot be recreated.
Tyler Kol. 5
2/23/2014 12:41:38 pm
This quote is also my personal favorite. When rereading this last sentence, I see the past rushing upon Gatsby over the five years he waits for Daisy. As he strives to move forward in life, the waves pull him back, forcing him to acknowledge the fact the he still loves Daisy. This feeling, having built up for ears, can explain exactly why Gatsby acted so forward with Daisy after they see each other once again.
Jen M. P1
2/19/2014 03:39:10 am
A quote that really stands out to me in the final chapter is one that ties back to the start of the story. It is in the scene of Nick's final encounter with Tom, just before the two part ways. After Tom explains his reasoning for selling Gatsby out, Nick admits that he can't and won't forgive him, but that he sees that "what he had done was, to [Tom], completely justified." He and Daisy don't see much wrong with their actions because "they were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures amd then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness" (Fitzgerald 179). Nick doesn't judge them as much as many people would, because he takes their background into consideration and that "they haven't had the advantages that [he's] had" (Fitzgerald 1). It really serves to bring the book full circle.
Carl A. Period 5
2/20/2014 06:02:18 am
We had the same quote for favorite quote, but I like the different way you interpreted the quote. I didn't even realize the connection back to Nick Carraway on how he really can't judge them because of what his father told him in the beginning of the story. I judged the two characters immediately without even thinking back on that quote. I guess that's what makes Nick a great observer and narrator.
Trevor K 4
2/20/2014 01:03:27 pm
I think that this quote is significant as well. One of the very first lines of the book is Gatsby's dad telling him he has advantages over others in his outlook on the world. Many of the people in the east do not have the advantage of his outlook on life. Tom knows no better than to act how he does. There is no right or wrong to him, it is just a habit. Nick describes them as "children" in the last chapter. Basically, Nick is saying that a children wouldn't know any better and that to Tom, his selfish and rash actions are all that he knows.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
2/19/2014 04:10:52 am
I honestly liked “The Great Gatsby,” and I actually want to the see the movie. My favorite quote would be when Nick says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they have made..." (Fitzgerald 179). This quote truly shows Tom and Daisy’s true intentions. They’re too cowardly to fix their own messes that they get into, so they hide behind their money and leave. They just flat out leave, and did not give a forwarding address when Nick needed to get in contact with them. The Buchanan’s are rich, live a lavish lifestyle, and are corrupt individuals. They are selfish people, and seem to not care about other people. They are two-faced; Tom is a hypocrite about having affairs, and Daisy seems to love Gatsby, but doesn’t love him enough to show up at his own funeral. Also, Fitzgerald talks about Daisy and Tom talking in their kitchen on the night of the accident, the reader would guess that Daisy came clean about her driving that night, but no. We don’t find out until chapter 9 that Tom never found out Daisy was driving that night. Daisy never told the full truth, only showing how scared and how big of a crowd she truly is. We also never knew if Daisy knew that the person she hit was Tom’s mistress. Overall, I liked the mysteries that the book had, and still has as it makes the reader continue to guess.
Joe S. Period 1
2/20/2014 10:48:52 am
I agree with what you are saying. Daisy and Tom indeed do not take fault for their actions and take the easy way out. I like how you said "they hide behind their money" because all they really want is to be rich and have money to feel higher than other people. They are corrupt in so many ways and Daisy even hides from Tom that she was the one who ran over Myrtle. Daisy's corrupt decisions only lead her into a bigger hole, hers being a corrupted version of the american dream. She indeed did "let others clean up the mess [she] made" (Fitzgerald 179).
Kathryn P P2
2/19/2014 05:01:35 am
Out of all the quotes in the final chapter, I feel that my favorite has to be the one at the very end. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (180). I feel that this quote explains the symbolic essence of the green light and how humans perceive the past. The green light was Gatsby's dream that Daisy would come to love him and be with him, but he was too engrossed with its beauty that he was oblivious to his surroundings. Gatsby, like all other humans, dwell on the past for answers and hopes that would never be realized. But we need to move on, and embrace the future with open arms in order to achieve new dreams/hopes. Otherwise, we will become lost, such as Gatsby did. However, the final line describing us swaying like boats on a shore is saying that we must move between the two to find happiness, or we can get stuck in either delusional world.
Harshita K 1
2/19/2014 05:15:36 am
My favorite quote from the ending of this great and amazing novel would probably be when Nicks says how Gatsby's "dream must have seemed so close that [he] could hardly fail to grasp it.He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city"(Fitzgerald 180). I think through this quote hers to show how it is not possible to turn back time eventhough it is in deepest desires. Love is a very strong word and has many meanings attached to it. Gatsby is the prisoner of his own past because he is not capable to move on. In life its self the past is the past and should never be brought up again. If one keeps living in the past then they will never be able to keep moving forward.
Conrad
2/20/2014 02:55:46 am
One of my favorite themes in the novel. I have always been interested in "time." As a parent I watch, day by day, my children grow up in front of me. I long to hold them again as children, read "Green Eggs and Ham" to them for the first time, or watch them as they puzzle over something simple like a spoon. At the same time I find myself anxious about their futures. Excited for them to drive, for their first kiss and for everything they will learn about the world and themselves in college. It makes it hard to just live in the moment and be just be happy for every breath I take in each second that ticks off of the clock, but...
Elizabeth Z 2
2/19/2014 05:28:21 am
My favorite quote in the end of the novel is when Nick was referring to Gatsby's dream of one day reuniting with his one love, Daisy. He says, "He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed to close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him" (Fitzgerald 180).This is yet another reference to the passage of time that Gastby seemed to be missing in his search for Daisy. This quote shows that he was so intent on his one goal that he did not stop and think about it rationally. If Gastby were to look back at what his delayed dream caused people, then I'm sure that he would realize that it wasn't worth it in the end. It caused an even worse split in Daisy and Tom's marriage (though Tom seemed to have deserved it), and in an indirect way, it caused Gatsby's death. To explain: If Gatsby hadn't still pursued his love for Daisy, then she would not have ended up driving his car home, and Myrtle would still be alive. I am not saying that it is Gatsby's fault that she and he die, but it is an interesting chain of events stemming from Gatsby's overdue search for Daisy's love.
Melissa S. (Period 2)
2/20/2014 10:41:26 am
I definitely agree with your interpretation of this quote. You may have even changed my mind about what my favorite quote is. This quote basically encompasses everything Gatsby lives for in the novel. Everyone and everything involved in this turn of events always link back to Gatsby and any actions that he took to achieve his goals or get what he wants.
Joe S. Period 1
2/19/2014 05:29:46 am
The book "The Great Gatsby" is a magnificent book. One of my favorite quotes from chapter nine is "The minister glanced several times at his watch, so I took him aside and asked him to wait for half an hour. But it wasn't any use. Nobody came" (Fitzgerald 174). In this quote Nick explains that no one came to Gatsby's funeral. This revelation supports that people didn't give Gatsby kind attention, that people only used him for his lavish parties, and that Gatsby had no true friends besides Nick. This ties back to that the individuals in West Egg only fended for themselves and were outrageously selfish. All those who attended his parties only went for alcohol and rich entertainment, showing how greedy the are. Another quote that stands out to me is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). This quote not only shows a dream but also emphasizes that the significance of the past affects dreams of the future. In the book, Gatsby is drawn back to his grand memories with Daisy and tries to "row" towards his dream goal of having Daisy in his arms once again. Throughout the novel Gatsby never loses his optimistic ambitions to reach his american dream, but does struggle to pursue what he wants. His ability to reach his dream is never complete. In my opinion, this shows that the corruption and bad intentions throughout the novel stand for "against the current" and the "beat" stands for the energy Gatsby had to make his own american dream.
Amber H. p4
2/19/2014 05:36:58 am
My favorite quote is the last line, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think the message of this line is simple, and kind of why people hated certain characters, but life goes on, it continues. Just like in the poem in class we read, "The Tide Rises and the Tide Falls" even though Gatsby (the traveler) will no longer be there Nick will continue to live his life (the tide rising and facing continuously).
Corey K. (period 5)
2/19/2014 09:48:18 am
This is a great connection between the novel and the poem. I never realized that until now and you are exactly right. There will always be a new traveler and new problems but the reality is that life goes on. Just like the boat must get past the current, society must battle against hardships and obstacles. This is one of my favorites and I think is the best ending to any book I have ever read.
Conrad
2/20/2014 02:57:32 am
Great connection!
Lizzy K P4
2/19/2014 05:54:59 am
My favorite quote in the last pages of the book is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back, ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think this quote defines the book so well. The entire story is set up so well because of the pasts of each character. Without the mystery of the past, and how much it affected the characters, nothing the story would have played out the same. For instance, if Gatsby and Daisy would have met for the first time, the acts of adultery they committed would have had little meaning compared to how much meaning they had because of their previous encounters.
Angel Avila 5
2/19/2014 06:02:56 am
My favorite quote is "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . " This quote is a metaphor for the American Dream and for Gatsby's life. Gatsby tries to reach the green light for his idealism of Daisy, but this idealism is false, it is based upon dreams of the past, but these dreams can not sustain the dreams of the future, as age and maturity create a sense of reality. So, Gatsby was trying to obtain something that would never work out, as time advances, people can change, and that's what happened to Daisy.
Matt R. Period 2
2/20/2014 03:27:13 am
I agree with you Angel and I think that this qoute really sums up the main focus of the book, the american dream. Fitzgerald does a good job of portraying how the dream can often simply be unreachable, no matter how much someone wants it. I think this was the case for many immigrants at the time which could also pertain to the book. Everyone wants to succeed, but not everyone can.
Justin C Period 2
2/21/2014 07:14:16 am
I agree with you Angel and Matt. I think that the specific quote mentioned does a really good job summing up the whole plot of the story and the main focus on what Gatsby does and why he does it.
Imani B. 5 -absent
2/23/2014 09:01:39 am
I agree with this as well. throughout the whole book, Gatsby was trying to accomplish something that was never going to happen for him. He technically was living the "American Dream" by being rich and famous, but he didn't have the love of his life, and was trying to get her back.
Tyler Ken. 1
2/19/2014 06:14:03 am
My favorite quote in chapter 9 is, " I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all - Tom, and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to eastern life" (184) stated by Nick. I think it underlines the way "Eastern" life has changed Tom, Daisy, Jordan but not Nick. "Eastern" life has seem to make Tom, Daisy and Jordan cold and greedy. "Eastern" life maybe a symbol for the life of greed and self-gain. After Daisy was courted to Tom, Daisy began to enjoy his wealth and the new "Eastern" life she just gained. Nick later states that the East always had"quailty of distortion" (185). Nick sees that the lives of Daisy and Tom has drastically changed since they moved East and they have become, "careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together"(188). The East has taken the innocence out of Tom and Daisy and has made them cold and greedy, but Nick's way of fair narrating has allowed him to keep his Western form.
Jesse S. Period 4
2/20/2014 11:39:21 am
That quote was my favorite as well. Tom, Daisy, and Jordan just weren't cut out for Eastern life. The East did not suit Nick either. He seemed to be the only one who stayed true to his traditions and morals while everyone in the East simply lost all virtue. Nick would never be able to grow acustom to livng in the East It simply wasn't possible as citizens of East Egg symbolized everthing Nick had resented. That secular lifestlye suited Tom and Daisy, as corrupt as it was, it's just who they are. Using money to make their problems disappear. Gatsby gave an attempt at the same lifestyle, and its safe to say we all know how that ended for him.
Morganne J p.5
2/19/2014 06:26:35 am
Other than the absolutely incredible last line of the novel, I love the quote: “It vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder” (Fitzgerald 180). To me, this bit of one of the last paragraphs describes all of the thoughts and feelings that the readers have about the novel as a whole. The uncertainty about the events that occur, Nick’s true feelings towards each character individually, and even Gatsby himself, all seem to be “compelled into an aesthetic contemplation [that we] neither understood nor desired” (180). The book has numerous ideas that can mean so many different things to multiple different people. Truly, we are all left to wonder.
Carl A. Period 5
2/19/2014 06:41:41 am
The quote from "The Great Gatsby" during the final pages of the novel that intrigued me the most would be, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (Fitzgerald 179). They commit "bad" crimes and don't take the blame for it. Daisy and Tom, and rich people in general, just run back to the money they have and hide the fact that it happened. They delude themselves with their money. Daisy could have fessed up to killing Myrtle but instead she was too cowardly to and ran back to her wealth. Rich people are able to commit these acts because of their money, now imagine if someone like Wilson did. He wouldn't be able to go back on his wealth. They run like nothing happened and let everyone else suffer, and that may be why the went East in the first place.
Caitlin C. Period
2/19/2014 07:15:33 am
Carl, I agree with you, Daisy and Tom were careless and selfish about the way they treated people and situations. They didn't care of the outcome unless is benefitted or didn't harm them. I attribute some of this attitude to the "carefree" time period also though, because we've seen this carelessness multiple times throughout the book, even this quote said by Nick "You can't live forever; you can't live forever." (Fitzgerald 36)
Tyler Ken. 1
2/20/2014 11:57:27 am
I agree with you and believe that Tom and Daisy will run into the same problems in the future because it's in their style of living. When Nick meets Tom for the last time Tom states that Gatsby has, threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy's" (187). Tom is very hypocritical in this statement because he commonly throws dust in to Daisy's eyes due to his wealth. Daisy does not seem to acknowledge that her husband is a compulsive cheater, commonly talked about in Daisy's house by Jordan. I feel that if Tom and Daisy do not acknowledge their faults, they will remain stagant and will continue to commit sinful acts.
Caitlin C. Period 2
2/19/2014 07:10:06 am
Honestly, I found my favorite quote from the last few pages of The Great Gatsby being, “As I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know it was already behind him… Gatsby believed in that green light…” (Fitzgerald 180) First, I’d like to point out that Nick is “brooding on the old, unknown world” and don’t we all? I honestly didn't find myself liking Nick too much as a character throughout, but this made me relate to him. I feel like it shows a really human side of Nick, maybe even a little vulnerability as he looks back on the past summer and realizes all he’s been through. Then we have Nick talking about Gatsby, still, even after all that has occurred, Nick is the only one still thinking about Gatsby. He mentions how Daisy was Gatsby’s greatest struggle even though he didn’t always see her that way. Nick knows, and probably knew all along that Daisy would never be reached by Gatsby, she represents many things, one being the American dream; so close, yet so far away. Always slightly out of reach but always in his sight. But I think my favorite part in this quote by the observant Nick is, “He had come a long way… his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him” Nick knows things that others do not, we see it through the entire book and he doesn’t disappoint in the end.
Rachel H. Period 4
2/19/2014 07:28:15 am
My favorite quote at the end of "The Great Gatsby" had to have been at the very end where Nick says "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I feel like this quote has so much significance throughout the entire novel. Each character was built up with their past, and the entire novel really circulates around the past of the characters. I think it means that as the future kept going on, the characters or boats, faced struggles and obstacles, but everything that they had done revolved around the past, allowing them to move forward with their life.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
2/20/2014 07:35:40 am
Rachel, I feel that your favorite quote being, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (Fitzgerald 180), talks about time. The current is talking about today, which will slowly turn into yesterday, the past; it is always happens. Time is constantly coming and going, and everyone tries to make a stance starting one day, and hopefully it’ll continue into the future. Eventually, one can’t keep up and they get stuck in the past, as we can see with the characters of "The Great Gatsby" only proving this point.
Tyler Kol 5
2/20/2014 12:39:10 pm
I love this quote. I imagine as I struggle to keep a boat moving forward, advancing toward the future, waves of the past come flooding in. this not only clouds judgment and creates uneasiness, but also slows down progress toward the future. By living in the past someone becomes stuck, drowning from the waves which surround them.
Anna W.
2/20/2014 12:43:29 pm
I really enjoy this quote as well.I agree that it is talking about the development of each character over time. Most of the actions that each character does in the novel, we find out had something to do with their past. I believe Fitzgerald continuously wanted to remind us that every person has a background, and a motive for everything they do. People may not be perfect, but we never know the real reason as to why they are the way they are unless we were to actually talk to them to find out.
Daisy O. Period 4
2/19/2014 07:35:33 am
My favorite quote is “tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…So we beat on, boats against the current” (136). This quote is at the very end, and I think it wraps the book up nicely. The optimism of Gatsby and his belief that the past can be repeated is shown within these words. Gatsby was so hopeful, and believed in his dreams. Although he was not able to be with Daisy in the end, he accomplished a lot in his life due to his hard work and persistence. He had his very own schedule inside a book cover as a child that included improving morals and saving money. However, goals are very hard to accomplish, and I think Gatsby also taught us that within the novel. The “boats against the current” is symbolizing that there will always be people and things that will try and stand in the way of one’s goals. One has to be able to remain steady and calm to get though those complications. Tomorrow will be a better day with more progress.
Kelly B P1
2/19/2014 12:42:56 pm
I love how you related to the quote, "boats against the current" (Fitzgerald 126). To not letting anyone stand in your way. that there will always be people or "boats" fighting against you but you should never let them bring you down. I agree with the idea for that quote completely.
Kelsey J 1
2/19/2014 07:49:00 am
One of my favorite quotes is explaining the scene: "as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island that flowered once for the Dutch sailor's eyes- a fresh, green breast of the new world" (136). I love this quote simply because of the way it shows the true beauty of the place that all of these people live. Fitzgerald's meaning for it was probably to show that this place is a wonderful place and that we should not mistake it's God given beauty for the corrupted people that live there. God's world is beautiful in God's eyes. Its the debasement from religion and the sinful and corrupt people that make the world less beautiful.
Riley S. P2
2/19/2014 10:52:13 am
Kelsey, we could also take the quote of a point against industrialization. This beautiful place, an island found by the Dutch held such great mystery. Now this beautiful piece of land is home to rich, careless people, the valley of ashes and the rest of the city. The world inessential stands out to me in this quote. The houses are useless, we do not need such a large city taking up this beautiful piece of land. I think a lot of people don't look around past the skyscrapers, houses and buildings that block the Earth's old world beauty, and that's unfortunate. I didn't read this quote and relate it to religion, I saw it more as a realization on the wrong of industrialization and civilization.
Paulette D. period 5
2/19/2014 07:58:51 am
The quote I found interesting was “ he had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (Fitzgerald 180). The mention of Gatsby coming a long way to this lawn is referring to his struggle to earn his wealth in order to impressive Daisy. He bought this house so he could be close but still keep his distance from Daisy. The dream of his is to be with Daisy, he thought that if Daisy saw how successful he was, she would dump Tom immediately, but he did not take into consideration that after all those years, Daisy learned to love Tom.
Morganne J p.5
2/23/2014 12:51:06 pm
I also like this quote and how it shows Gatsby’s journey towards finding Daisy. However, I don’t think Daisy ‘learned’ to love Tom….when she married him, she thought Gatsby was dead and Tom was the man she had new love for. Only when she received Gatsby’s letter was she confused with herself, but all along deep down somewhere inside her soul, Daisy has always loved the man she married. Maybe not in the same exact manner that she portrayed with Gatsby, but after all, she did marry and have a daughter with Tom.
Alexis B. Period 1
2/19/2014 08:26:44 am
My favorite quote is,“And as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock." (Fitzgerald 1182). I like this quote because it is Nick identifying the life of Gatsby, or at least the life he knew Gatsby by. He was so caught up in Daisy, and in a way the green light is a romantic gesture suggesting him running to Daisy, but I think it takes a deeper meaning. I think the color Fitzgerald chose was no accident. Gatsby did what he could to seduce Daisy, and that was with his money I think the overall message was saying that Gatsby spent his life trying to get Daisy back, and the only way he could do that was with money, and to show that he could provide for her
Harshita K 1
2/20/2014 05:53:38 am
I find this very interesting on why you think that the color of the green light is no more than a purposeful gesture.visually showing how Gatsby reached for the green light, the representation of all his dreams and deepest desires. I like the quote because it revolves around what his one big dream is.As we all know Gatsby's intentions are pretty clear through out this novel but at the end when "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us"(Fitzgerald 180). Everything that he did was for Daisy he gave it all his best.
Monica E. Period 1
2/19/2014 08:28:29 am
My favorite quote is "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us"(Fitzgerald 180). This is my favorite because I believe that Fitzgerald is showing that dreams and beliefs do not always come true. Everything is not what it seems, and the future is a dark place.
Jordan T. P.4
2/19/2014 12:27:02 pm
I agree I also think it could mean how something so close sometimes can never be fully grasped. You can have many dreams but there is always one that you want to accomplish more than the others and that was the green light for Gatsby. Sometimes it just doesn't work out in the end, no matter how you imagined it to be.
Jake S 4
2/19/2014 01:33:48 pm
I don’t see how Fitzgerald is making a statement on “dreams and beliefs” not coming true or “everything is not what is seems” because in this he is essentially trying to say that Gatsby tried his whole life to live an extravagant life “in the green light”. However this “orgastic” (meaning exciting) future gets more and more unrealistic as time passes.
Monica E.
2/20/2014 12:10:14 pm
I do not believe Gatsby was trying to live an extravagant life. He was only trying to live a life with Daisy. His love and dreams for her blinded him and that's the reason that Myrtle, Gatsby, and Wilson died at the end.
Julia C. Period 2
2/19/2014 08:40:03 am
My favorite quote from the end of the book is, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think this shows that you cannot go back in time and must move forward with life. Gatsby was trying to repeat the past because he felt that people could do that, but it is learned that it is not possible. He was trying to gain Daisy's love back the he had in the past but no longer could he gain it in the future. I also believe that this quote wraps up the novel in a good way and shows how people cannot live in the past and just need to keep moving forward.
Richard W. Period 5
2/23/2014 01:50:14 pm
Julia I completely agree with you. This was also my favorite quote as well. Gatsby put all his efforts into trying to rekindle his relationship with Daisy from that past but did not recieve anything in return. Fitzgerald is trying to advise readers not to dwell on the past, but instead focus on the future ahead. It was a perfect qoute for the ending of the novel
Megan J P4
2/19/2014 08:55:39 am
My favorite quote in Chapter 9 is “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And then one fine morning- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 186). I think that it is important to quote the whole passage and not break it up in order to decipher its full meaning. The first part entails the struggle of humans, like Gatsby, trying to achieve future goals centered around recreating the past. Even though they are struggling, humans prove themselves unable to move beyond the past. While they remain optimistic, (“tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther”) humans still put all their energy chasing after a goal that keeps moving farther away (“So we beat on, boats against the current”). This not only describes Gatsby’s broken dreams of Daisy but also of humans in the 1920’s moving farther and farther away from the American Dream of the past as they get lost in their new obsession with wealth, material items, and drug-like happiness.
Josh S. 5
2/20/2014 01:44:29 pm
I completely agree with you Megan, this quote is a very good representation of society in the 1920's and the changing of the American Dream. I found it interesting how you chose to keep the quotation as a whole and you did not just use the last line of it as most people did. The first part of the selection really wraps up Gatsby's whole story of making a better future based too much on the past. This really added on to the overall theme of the novel.
Hannah B P1
2/19/2014 08:59:22 am
My favorite quote of the final chapter is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Fitzgerald 136). Nick is talking about Gatsby and how he was metaphorically constantly pushing against a current, an obstacle, just to relive the past with the girl he loves. However, Daisy was never the person he thought she was, the fact becomes a disappointment. I feel that this same feeling is or will be present in everybody’s life at one point. People only remember things the way we want; only focusing on the good that came from it. We go against the current that pushes us towards cold reality instead choosing to return to happier times. In the end, that was Gatsby's fatal mistake because he was desperately in love with a person who never really existed
Becca K Period 4
2/19/2014 11:38:01 am
I also really liked this quote, I think it was a great line to summarize the theme of the novel. I agree that Gatsby, like many other people, tried to return to a happier time in the past. However, Fitzgerald stresses throughout the whole novel and in this last quote that the past cannot be remade. The past is in the past, and you have to move on in order to seek a deeper fulfillment. If people live in the past, they really have nothing to live for. Gatsby spent his entire adulthood chasing after Daisy, a thing of his past. This ultimately lead to his downfall, and he dies with nothing and nobody except for Nick.
Katelyn B Period 2
2/19/2014 09:04:49 am
One of the last ideas presented in the novel is a personal favorite: “…[Nick] thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it…Gatsby believed in the green light…it eluded us then, but…to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (Fitzgerald 180). Ultimately, Fitzgerald is wrapping up the intentions and goals of Gatsby’s life, but also sharing a belief that the American dream is always in sight, but never quite within reach. Everybody at one point in their lives will have the strong intentions to achieve their lifetime goal, but in one way or another, will always end up falling short. The goal is either never fully reached by its’ owner or is reached, but the process of achieving it was not worthwhile. In Gatsby’s circumstance, he “came a long way to this blue lawn” (worked hard for his wealth and everything he owned), and though he never fully won over the heart of Daisy, which was his goal (American dream); he was able to have the satisfaction that he devoted his life and hard work to something that he felt was worth fighting for up until the day he died. People may have viewed his life as a failure for never truly accomplishing his dream, but his ambition to obtain that goal is more valuable than the ultimate reward that may have not been what he had anticipated it to be. This concept is one to admire and really goes to show that the journey one takes in striving for their goal and accomplishing other things along the way is really what the American dream is about, making its true grasp always just a little out of reach.
Julia C. period 2
2/20/2014 09:13:07 am
Katelyn I completely agree with your idea about how Fitzgerald ended the novel. I also think that the journey that Gatsby took was more important than the destination because his life was about the journey that he took. I think that the idea that the American dream is always in sight also contributes to the fact that Gatsby kept chasing Daisy.
Taylor D. 4
2/20/2014 11:20:16 am
I really like the way that you were able to tie the idea of the American dream into the quote because it was such an important idea of the time! I really like the way that you worded your answer and I totally agree with you!
Dong L. Period 5
2/19/2014 09:21:33 am
What I like about the last scene in the chapter is the quote: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 136). I think Fitzgerald is trying to use the symbol of the green light to represent the "American Dream" and how people strive to achieve that dream.
Costa D. (period 2)
2/19/2014 09:10:38 pm
I agree with your point on how people strive to achieve the American Dream, symbolized by the green light. The green light was signficant in the begginning of the book as we saw it as Gatsby looking out and beyond at Daisy. The context of it now, since Gatsby is gone, stands as the American dream in general. The fact that boats beat against the current state the flaw in society in trying to achieve the American dream.
Noelle Sather- Period
2/19/2014 09:35:50 am
A quote that really stands out to me is on page 136 when Fitzgerlad writes "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . . And one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 136).These words end the novel and find Nick returning to the theme of the significance of the past to dreams of the future, here represented by the green light. He focuses on the struggle of human beings to achieve their goals by both transcending and re-creating the past. Yet humans prove themselves unable to move beyond the past. In the metaphoric language used here, the current draws them backward as they row forward toward the green light. This past functions as the source of their ideas about the future and they cannot escape it as they continue to struggle to transform their dreams into reality. While they never lose their optimism they expend all of their energy in pursuit of a goal that moves ever farther away. This metaphor characterizes both Gatsby’s struggle and the American dream itself. Nick’s words register neither blind approval nor cynical disillusionment but rather the respectful melancholy that he ultimately brings to his study of Gatsby’s life.
Period 4
2/19/2014 10:00:11 pm
Monica E
2/20/2014 11:57:20 am
I agree with you Noelle. The significance of the past does lead us to the dreams of the future. It leads us to what is the American dream. I think that Fitzgerald is trying to emphasize the meaning of the symbol "green light."
Jimmy Mikolay P2
2/20/2014 01:25:04 pm
I completely agree with you that the explanation of the green light was a fantastic way to transition into the concluding statement. The idea that the green light represented an “orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 148) gives the reader an understanding of the reasoning behind the many actions that had taken place within the previous few chapters.
Corey K. (period 5)
2/19/2014 09:45:07 am
In the last few pages of the novel, there was one particular quote really stuck out to me. The first one involves Nick and his view of Tom and the rich in general when he says "They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money... [they] let other people clean up the mess they had made" (179). People in society does this in today's time a well. Celebrities and the rich are held to higher standards yet get off easier after making mistakes. There is discipline because there is a belief that money can buy your way out of something. A great example would be the ideas behind affluenza -- How the rich do not grow up with morals and knowing the difference from right and wrong and should be treated otherwise.
Morganne J p.5
2/20/2014 11:37:52 pm
I also really like this quote and its significance to today's society. In my opoinion, this idea will sadly always apply to people in the world though. The authority that weatlhy peole have or at least believe that they have will have power as long as others in society want their money too. Greed goes both ways.
Jack M.
2/19/2014 10:00:50 am
The quote that got my attention was on the final page of the book. This is during Nick's final visit to Gatsby's mansion, when he reflects on the past. "a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams;
for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder." This quote to me is what the Fitzgerald was writing the story about, and this section was specifically in the novel to hammer home that point. Not only has the dream of love failed for Gatsby, but the green light- something I see as a symbol for a dream or goal- has disappeared from view forever, like how the American dream is seeming to fade. This is a quintessential example of this idea of the American dream slipping from view.
Scott A 5th
2/19/2014 10:07:42 am
A quote that really caught my attention was at the end of the book, Nick states, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (189). I think Nick is stating that no matter what we do, how hard we try, to to fix and obtain what we want in the future, will not matter in the end if it was originated in the past. Gatsby could not take back all the time he spent away from Daisy. When he came back from the war he tried to obtain wealth to win Daisy back but it was too late, Tom was her husband. Time is a valuable thing which is why clocks were mentioned through out the novel. Gatsby blew too much time and strived to fix what transpired while he was gone but in the end, it did not even matter.
Matt C 1
2/19/2014 10:12:59 am
One quote that stood out to me in the last few pages of the novel was when Nick said, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning-" (Fitzgerald 180). I think this is a good note to end to the book it on. It lets the reader know what Gatsby really stood for and shows just what was learned by the characters in the novel by the events that happened.
Shelby D 5
2/20/2014 10:08:24 am
I completely agree with you that the explanation of the green light was a fantastic way to transition into the concluding statement. The idea that the green light represented an “orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 148) gives the reader an understanding of the reasoning behind the many actions that had taken place within the previous few chapters.
Mackenzie K. period 1
2/19/2014 10:20:26 am
One of my favorite quotes from the end of the book is "those gleaming, dazzling parties of his were with me so vividly that I could still hear the music and the laughter, faint and incessant, from his garden, and the cars going up and down his drive," (Fitzgerald 179). I like this quote because of how descriptive it is. I think it means that despite the fact that Nick knows that nobody really cared about Gatsby at the parties, he still misses them.
Hannah B P1
2/20/2014 11:34:16 am
Mackenzie, I'm glad you chose this line because I also really like the description and word choice. When I read it, a ghost like vibe appears in my head; its as if Nick is seeing the parties continue on even with Gatsby dead. It's sad how people lived their happiest moments there, at the glamorous mansion, but never acknowledged the person behind all the magic, "The Great Gatsby".
Elizabeth Z 2
2/20/2014 12:58:26 pm
I feel like this quote can also show an interesting thing about Nick. The way that he is remembering the parties seems very reminiscent and even a bit mournful. It shows that, thou Nick may not have actually liked Gatsby, he still cared about him. Now that he has died, I think Nik really does miss him at least a little bit.
Rachel VB (4)
2/20/2014 01:12:32 pm
I really like this quote too. It is very descriptive and allows the reader to imagine what Gatsby's parties were like. This quote shows how big of a deal they were to people from all around even though they did not know Gatsby.
Taylor D. 4
2/19/2014 10:38:50 am
My favorite quote of the last chapter would have to be the very last lines. I feel like they not only sum up the book, but they appear to be themes of the book and of life. The lines are, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (189). This is saying how after this dream like summer, Nick will continue is uneventful life and everything will become part of the past. He will continue to have struggles but will move on and is becoming a new person rather than the one he was this summer. Through tragic events, people tend to move on and try to start a new life for themselves because it is easier than trying to patch up the past. I feel like this applies to life then and now. It is an observation of what people do and advice that people should move on from the tragedy.
Brenda N. 4
2/20/2014 01:43:13 pm
This is my favorite quote too. I agree with you that this quote sums up the whole book. It sums up Gatsby's motives and what holds him back. I think that his past not only pushed him to be the man he is now, but it held him back from true happiness. So I do agree with you that this will become Nick's past, and that he has learned a lot from these memories.
Riley S. P2
2/19/2014 10:44:45 am
I loved this book so much! Probably my new favorite book, in fact! I was left with an awed feeling at the end of the book. I loved the quote a few pages from the end. The painting that Fitzgerald envisions is just breathtaking, (Speaking of West Egg)"I see it as a night scene by El Greco: a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen, overhanging sky and lusterless moon. In the foreground four solemn men in dress suits are walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman wearing a white evening dress. Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. Gravely the men trun in at a house- the wrong house. But no one knows the woman's name and nobody cares" (176). I mean what an image! Fitzgerald is emphasizing on the horror that money has created. A city once funtional and useful is now slouching under an faded moon and sky. The beauty of the American Dream has faded. We then see four men in dress suits, four rich men, walking with a stretcher. On the stretcher is a rich woman, in white. A drunk woman in the purest color, with a hand clad in jewels hanging off the stretcher. I think that the woman represents the American Dream, a pure, beautiful, glittering idea that so many people believed. But the Dream is now drunk and not aware of the world around her. The rich men who are carrying her finally get too tired and turn in at the wrong house. They are taking the American Dream to the wrong place, it is already intoxicated and unsure, don't wrong it even more with your carelessness and money! And the last line is about the carelessness of the rich. Just like Jordan Baker, the men do not care. This woman they have been carrying around is nameless, and no one sees a problem with this. The people of the country do not even know what the Dream looks like anymore. They don't care, and don't have to, because there money covers their carelessness.
Ryan Dowler P5
2/19/2014 10:52:48 am
My favorite quote from the end of the book was "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald). I took it as the current being the past holding us back from our hopes of the future. For Gatsby, the current is his past relationship with Daisy and he is trying to row to the green light. I just feel like the quote nicely summarizes Gatsby's struggle throughout the novel.
Zak D Period 2
2/19/2014 12:27:50 pm
I agree with your point about Gatsby and his constant struggle to get Daisy back. The green light is always eluding Gatsby but he continues to chase after it because he is invested in Daisy. Gatsby is always trying in every way possible to gain Daisy's love back. His struggle to obtain those feelings are seen throughout the novel.
Dong L. Period 5
2/20/2014 06:19:51 am
I agree with you about Gatsby's struggle throughout the whole novel. Gatsby is desperate and is always doing his best in order to get Daisy back to his side just like 5 years ago. With the green light, I agree that he is constantly rowing toward his goal/dream even though he is being push back with conflicts he encounters.
Shivam P. Period 2
2/20/2014 09:47:56 am
I like this quote because of the point you made about it. The current is the past preventing us from moving on with our lives. It is when we can swim past the current that we have a chance to succeed in our futures. It also goes well with the character of Gatsby, because he is trying to hold on to his past with Daisy, but by doing so he cant see that the future could be rocky and wont end well for him.
Paula R. Period 5
2/19/2014 10:56:33 am
One of my favorite quotes from the last few pages is "his dream must have seen so close that he could hardy fail to grasp it, [h]e did not know that it was already behind him" (Fitzgerald 180). I liked this quote because after one read, I was amazed at how simply Fitzgerald summarized Gatsby's life. Fitzgerald talked about time in this quote and reveals that the only reason Gatsby didn't succeed in winning Daisy over is because he was too fixated on the past when Daisy had already moved on to the present time.
Stephanie B; period 5
2/19/2014 11:14:37 am
I agree that the quote does a good job of summarizing Gatsby's one goal in life: to win Daisy over again. Gatsby is so focused on the past throughout the entire novel and wanting to recreate or relive the past with her, even though that may have not been what Daisy wanted. Either way, it is evident he really cares for her, therefore, it is hard for him to accept that the past is past and that he needs to face the present and realize that his relationship with Daisy is not the same, nor will it ever be. It is a perfect quote that portrays Fitzgerald's pessimistic view of the American Dream, that so many people fail to achieve it and that only few will.
Brittany D period 1
2/19/2014 10:58:13 am
My favorite quote in the last few pages of the book is when Nick reminisces and states "those gleaming, dazzling parties of his were with me so vividly..." (Fitzgerald 172). It stuck out to me because even though Nick clearly cares about Gatsby more than most, he still has the same mind set as others because in all actuality, Gatsby' s parties will be all that most people remember about him, besides the ugly rumors of course.
Paula R. Period 5
2/20/2014 12:06:44 pm
With that quote, I think it can be interpreted in so many different ways if another character were to say it. With Nick, I think that when he says the quote he says it in a proud tone. Even though Nick did not agree with the parties, I think that he was proud of Gatsby for earning his money and finally getting Daisy's attention. If say, Jordan Baker were to say this quote I would think of it as a quote with no meaning, just a comment on how extravagant Gatby's parties were. I really like how you picked the quote, because it does show how Nick genuinely cares for Gatsby.
Chris Q 1
2/19/2014 11:01:20 am
My favorite quote is: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald). Fitzgerald uses the current to symbolize a constant struggle of battling the past. If we let the past dictate our actions, we could end up like Gatsby.
Chandler S. Period 5
2/20/2014 11:03:52 am
That is a great quote Chris. I think you at on track with how you described it but I see it a different way. The only thing separating Gatsby from what he loved was water. This stream of life if you will. If this quote would have been something like a hiking trail it wouldn't have meant that much to the novel. But saying that we all just boats on this stream of life I think hits every reader the same way because we start feeling how Gatsby felt ( not only for a significant other) about anything we wish we could have back in life.
Matt C 1
2/20/2014 12:08:46 pm
I really like your quote and I like the way you interpreted it. I never looked at it like that before. Fitzgerald is making a bold statement about humanity and what we as humans can learn from events like this.
Eric F 2
2/19/2014 11:02:14 am
Definitely, one of the lines of the novel that stood out to me most was “It vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder,” (Fitzgerald 180). It truly sums up everything described throughout the novel. Wonder and awe and amazement- all these feelings of seeing new worlds and impossible things and the ultimate human experience, they've all been overshadowed by money and love of it. Gatsby, though rich, knew his money didn't make him great, and longed for experiencing love like he had with Daisy, although it was shallow on her end. North America was one of the last places on Earth to be explored, and Gatsby's house resting there must be symbolic of the last of romanticism dying out and the era of money taking over.
Alayna D. Period 1
2/19/2014 11:02:49 am
A favorite quote I have is, "They were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (179). I really like this quote because this is how I feel about society. There are the careless people that try to help but end up making things worse. For example working on a group project in school you try to involve everyone but you know the one person is just in it to get the good grade from you and doesn't want to actually try. So when you do give them some of the work it either isn't up to standards with the quality of your work, or it is sloppy. Either way you now have to redo it and fix it because this careless person came in and was more of a bother than help. These people just leave a mess and seclude back to doing nothing expecting you (the one who tries hard) to work hard and get them a good grade on the project that they didn't even do.
Stephanie B; period 5
2/19/2014 11:06:29 am
A particular quote that stood out to me and I rather liked was the quote: "When we pulled out into the winter night and the real snow, our snow, began to stretch out beside us and twinkle against the windows, and the dim lights of small Wisconsin stations moved by, a sharp wild brace began cam suddenly into the air. We drew in deep breaths of it as we walked back from dinner through the cold vestibules, unutterably aware of our identity with this country for one strange hour, before we melted indistinguishably into it again" (176). I love the imagery Fitzgerald creates, of snow "twinkling" onto the ground with a sort of dream-like appearance. I believe Fitzgerald is using the quote to reminisce Nick's memories of the the West before he moved to the East and became involved in the other characters' lives. I believe the phrase "unutterably aware of our identity with this country for one strange hour, before we melted indistinguishably into it again" refers to Nick "melting" or becoming caught up in the culture of the East Egg, which is basically a competition for wealth.
Lyssa L. P4
2/20/2014 01:18:56 pm
Stephanie, I really appreciate you using a quote that not many people have chosen because it demonstrates a greater significance to you and your response really opened my eyes because unlike some other of the similarly powerful quotes, needed more interpretation. I liked what you said about Nick getting caught up in the drama of the East egg because I think this is most definitely true. Nick makes a realization at the very end that takes him back out of the East egg drama that I also liked That's my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (Fitzgerald 179). It makes Nick to be out as such an intelligent man and I enjoyed every bit of chapter 9.
Jordan C 2
2/19/2014 11:10:52 am
I so much enjoyed Gatsby and felt as though the way the book was written and the characters were put together made the book that more enjoyable. The quote that I favorited was one of the last glimpses of Nick's perspective that I really enjoyed. "And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning--So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think this quote means a lot to this story and how to really see the story as a whole based on this. Every character that we focused on whether it was Tom, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, Myrtle, or even Gatsby all of them in some way wanted to go back to the past as it seemed the future and what it held was too much for them to handle. One of those characters, Gatsby, really held onto anything that made him feel the past just knocking on his door, but in the end the past was so far gone that it was impossible to pull back but he was to blind to see that such was to occur. And this lead to his unfortunate end.
Yousuf A Period 5
2/20/2014 11:23:44 am
I agree with you on that quote because he really is saying that people should make an effort to tell people you love them and be friends with them before it's too late. Everyone always says nice things about others when it's too late, at a funeral, rather than when they were alive.
Hailey A. 2
2/19/2014 11:13:31 am
A favorite quote from "The Great Gatsby" is "They were careless people... they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (179). I liked this quote people it explains society now a days very well. Society is all about what everyone has (money) and not enough about what is on the inside anymore. People are careless and do not care about others the way they should, they only care about themselves and they will be all over you when you have something nice to offer them but the moment you need help, or just someone in general to be there for you, they leave you to clean up the mess alone.
Daniella A Period 4
2/20/2014 02:14:20 am
I also really liked this quote. I thought it defined society in the best way. It helps show how people of today do only care about themselves and what only benefits them. This quote proves what Fitzgerald was trying to get across throughout the novel. Which is that society mainly cares about money and their own personal interests.
Rachel VW Period 5
2/19/2014 11:15:05 am
I chose the quote "So we beat on, boats against a current, borne back careless into the past"(189). This is a very important, very well written quote, also very famous. With the use of the word past, it is easy to relate this quote to time. All waves created with the current will eventually crash, just how all present moments will sink into the past and before you know it become memories. And in life everyone, represented by the boats, are fighting time. They don't want to be dragged into the past, they want to keep these moments alive and keep themselves alive. But just how the waves always crash, it is inevitable for a person to beat the current, you will eventually become part of the past along with everything and everyone else.
Emylee F. Period 5
2/19/2014 11:27:57 am
One of my favorite quotes in the last chapter is when Wolfsheim is talking to Nick about why he refuses to go to Gatsby's funeral, he says "Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead..." (172) I love this quote because it stands out in the book, especially coming from Wolfsheim. Within in this book, readers see over and over again how many of the characters are selfish and self-righteous. This quote literally suggests people need to be more appreciative of others and show them, rather than living their lives just for themselves.
Andrea C. 2
2/20/2014 05:41:12 am
I agree with you on that quote because he really is saying that people should make an effort to tell people you love them and be friends with them before it's too late. Everyone always says nice things about others when it's too late, at a funeral, rather than when they were alive.
Amber H. p4
2/20/2014 08:31:35 am
I really like this quote too, reading over parts of the book, it still didn't pop out at me, but now that you mention it you are right. People need to appreciate a person when they are able to tell them, because after they are gone, you can't really tell them, you end up wishing you had.
Yousuf A Period 5
2/19/2014 11:30:15 am
One of my favorite quotes was, “And as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock." (Fitzgerald 1182). I like this quote because Nick is identifying the life that he knew Gatsby by. He was so caught up in Daisy, and in a way the green light is a romantic gesture suggesting him running to Daisy, but I think it takes a deeper meaning. I think the color Fitzgerald chose was no accident. Gatsby did what he could to seduce Daisy, and that was with his money I think the overall message was saying that Gatsby spent his life trying to get Daisy back, and the only way he could do that was with money, and to show that he could provide for her.
Angel A 5
2/20/2014 05:20:35 am
I agree with you, Gatsby spend most of his life striving to become successful and wealthy. He didn't do it al for him though, he did it to get Daisy back, to show that he was worthy and capable of providing for her.
Nadim K. Period 2
2/20/2014 08:24:44 am
I agree with you on the fact that Gatsby so was caught up with Daisy that he paid attention to every detail of her life including the green light. I also agree with the fact that the color green wasn't randomly chosen.
Ashlee P. 5
2/21/2014 09:30:49 am
I like this quote too because even in the midst of all the despair that has circled around the tragic events, this quote brings Nick back to a happier time when there was still hope in Gatsby's life. Wishing, hoping, and dreaming are obviously very important parts of this story, and i think its important to look back on these themes at the end of the story.
Becca K Period 4
2/19/2014 11:33:46 am
A quote that really stood out to me in the ending pages of the novel was " I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock... and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him" (Fitzgerald 180). I really liked this quote because it makes me feel really bad for Gatsby. He was oblivious to the fact that everything he spent his whole life working for was a waste, because getting Daisy to fall in love with him and leave Tom was never a realistic reality. He failed to realize throughout the whole novel that their days of being in love where far behind him. Although he desperately tried to recapture those feelings in those early moments, his wealth, his parties, everything was a waste. I geniunely feel bad for him because he believed in the light. He believed that he had the chance to achieve his American dream, but realistically even the moments in which he thought he felt close to accomplishing his dream, it in fact was never a possibility. I think its a good quote to end the novel because the reader is left with an emotional comment about Gatsby's life that really causes them to think and reflect on the book.
Megan J P4
2/20/2014 06:38:39 am
I like the quote that you used and I think you did a really good job explaining your opinion! Before he got shot, Gatsby "must have felt like he lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream" (Fitzgerald 165). This quote, along with the one you cited, shows how one cannot recreate the past, especially not with material items and wealth, and trying may ultimately lead to crushed dreams and disappointment, like in Gatsby's case.
hannah c p1
2/19/2014 11:35:08 am
My favorite quote came at the very end of the novel, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," (180). I think what this famous quote is trying to say is that our pasts are always part of us and we have to learn from these experiences and move on. Throughout the novel each character tried to live in the past without focusing on the present and future.
Zak D Period 2
2/23/2014 12:39:45 pm
I agree with your analysis of your quotation! The characters in this novel were too indulged in their respective pasts that they failed to become any different. Daisy and Tom especially kept with their personalities and did not change.
Ali D. 4
2/19/2014 11:36:11 am
Like many others my favorite quote at the end of the novel is, "so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180) because Gatsby really did go against the current in a sense of trying to get Daisy back. He tried so hard to win her back by gaining a lot of wealth, moving by her and letting people walk all over him in hope of her walking back into his life again. Once he did get her she was still with Tom and though Tom was cheating as well he did not have it. Jay Gatsby was back into the past, not with Daisy anymore. He's been with her before and been with her now but like the past he loses her. And with the death of Gatsby at the end there was no hope for their love to expand if she did by chance leave Tom.
Shivam P. period 2
2/19/2014 11:40:02 am
My favorite quote was when Nick is speaking of Daisy and Tom. He says " they were careless people... they smashed up things and retreated to their money..." This is so important because Nick doesn't judge people until he gets to know them. I feel like knowing what no Nick thinks of these people is significant because it shows his opinions on matters.
Melissa S. (Period 2)
2/19/2014 11:46:54 am
"And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away as I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes... It's vanished trees...had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams..." (Fitzgerald 180). This quote in Nick's narration really shows how he just wishes he were back in the simpler times. He wants to remember what it was like before he met Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, Myrtle, and all of them. He wants to forget the sin and corruption that left a scar on his life and will never fade.
Hailey A. 2
2/20/2014 02:12:24 am
I really likes this quote! The way Nick explains this quote is also an example on how people in todays society, at our age, still wish they could go back to the easier days. Where we didnt have to go to school or worry about drama. This quote really explains that well in lames terms.
Nick Wolf
2/19/2014 11:50:58 am
Among the beautiful literature comprising the last three pages, one quote in particular really stands out to me. When Nick says “And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world,” (Fitzgerald 180) I felt like my mind was opened. The first word that caught my mind was “brooding.” The word is always very specifically used and I don’t often ignore it, and it really completed the picture of Nick on the beach. Just him lying in the dark, alone. Then my favorite three words in the entire novel; the old, unknown world. I love the way Fitzgerald says that the world that is “old” is also “unknown.” This just really sums up how the novel has ended by saying that things that have passed in a place like the West or East Egg, are now lost forever. Gatsby is gone, not just dead, as he has been the past few chapters, but gone. Kids now vandalize the property that was only a few days ago the highlight of the entire city of New York, the grass has become anything but proper, and people have all but forgotten him. This is Fitzgerald’s ingenious way of showing the reader what became of Gatsby even after all he has done to be recognized.
Jordan C period 2
2/20/2014 07:30:23 am
I also believe that this quote was a very important one present to wrap up of the novel. Yes, in just a few words Fitzgerald seems as though he is putting everything out there. And its all about how it seems that no matter what the world or its people does seems to take as the world grows older it also become even more unrecognizable to the world we think we known. But I'd think that instead of Fitzgerald trying to say that what became of Gatsby after he tried so hard to be recognized was not exactly that. Its more of what happened in the past stays in the past. Its almost as if after everything you did in the world once you are gone people just don't seem to care anymore.
Tyler Kol 5
2/19/2014 11:54:01 am
My favorite quote of the novel is the last few lines, which emphasize the overall theme that if one focuses too much on the past, they will often miss out on the present. Nick ends by saying "We beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly in the past.” Gatsby always moved toward the green light and wanted it more than anything, attempting to recreate the past and create a stronger relationship with his love by living in the past too much, Gatsby fails to create newer, happier memories.
Elainie K 1
2/20/2014 11:38:22 am
I like the way you related this quote to the green light and Gatsby's love for Daisy. Fitzgerald spends the whole novel showing how every action of Gatsby's is an attempt to impress Daisy and recreate their past together. He is constantly living in the past, so his opportunities in the present and future become more and more scarce. Fitzgerald uses this ending quote to suggest that life should be progressive and that we must move on from what we can't control.
Chandler S.
2/19/2014 11:54:13 am
My favorite quote that Fitzgerald gives us lucky readers is "I couldn't forgive him I like him but I saw that what he had done, to him, had been completely justified" (187). Nick says realizes everything Gatsby did in the short period of time that they new each other. I believe that Nick didn't even know how to feel about Gatsby until everything was said and done. All throughout the novel we as readers go on assuming that Nick is just there for everyone and never really judges any of them. But this quote shows us that Nick was not caught up in this mess of a relationship, he was on the outside looking in. He never fully understood everything Gatsby did, but he finally realized that Gatsby understood everything that Gatsby did and it all started to make sense to him in the end. This quote kind of gives us this clearing of nick and I think that's why it is such a powerful quote and one that needed to be put at the end of the novel just like Fitzgerald did.
Jesse S. Period 4
2/19/2014 11:56:35 am
"That’s my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life." I thought this quote was significant in forming a conclusion of the novel. The East did not suit Nick. He seemed to be the only one who stayed true to his traditions and morals while everyone in the East simply lost all virtue. Nick would never be able to grow acustom to livng in the East It simply wasn't possible as citizens of East Egg symbolized everthing Nick had resented, including Gatsby. Although, Nick had claimed to see a difference in Gatsby. Gatsby didn't just inherit all his wealth, he had worked diligently to obtain it in an attempt to fit in with fellow East Eggers. Obviously, that was never going to be the case, just as how Nick was never going to adapt to this morally corrupt lifestyle.
Mildreth T period 1
2/19/2014 11:59:03 am
As difficult as it is to pick out one of my favorite quotes from the end, I think by far this one is my favorite,
"That’s my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life."
Here, Nick is realizing that maybe he isn't able to adapt to the fast paced lifestyle of New York (the 'Eastern life'). The West was associated more with traditional beliefs and moral values. Also, I think this was one of the reasons why Nick left New York.
Vasudha P (4)
2/19/2014 12:03:54 pm
My favorite quoted was when Nick wrote "The minister glanced several times at his watch, so i took him aside and asked him to wait for half an hour. But it wasn't any use. Nobody came." (174) Nick is explaining to the reader that no one had shown up for Gatsby's funeral. Shows how others only wanted to know Gatsby so they could go to his lavish parties. No one cared about Gatsby enough to show up to his funeral. Gatsby didn't have real friends...again they just associated with him for their own pleasure. This quote is the most relevant to me and my life. I feel that this is something that has existed in america in the past, present, and will continue to do so in the future. It showed a horrid part of the American Dream, how people don't care about friends or anyone else, individuals fend for themselves in any which way to achieve their goal. People just went to his parties to get two things off of him: alcohol and a great party (representing the goal of the American Dream) an easy life. In the end, clearly no one cared enough to go to his funeral and this shows how others got what they wanted from him, pretended to be his friends and that was it. Greed is a key to live for the american dream. This quote justifies that the American Dream is only meant to benefit the individual, its is materialistic not humanistic.
Haley M period 4
2/19/2014 12:06:47 pm
One of my favorite quotes in the last few pages of the novel is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). The quote allows the reader to know that life keeps moving. No one stops when people die and no one really cares because it is a part of life. People die everyday and there is always tragedy but everyone that still remains in the earth must move on. They must go through their everyday routine. People will remember the dead but soon their memories will fade from the earth. They will never be able to revisit the past or change any decisions they made, they can only move forward.
Becca K Period 4
2/20/2014 09:18:47 am
I also liked this quote, but I interpreted it in a different way. I took "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180) to mean that as humans, we are always trying to recreate the past. Instead of moving on with the flow of life, as you mentioned, we tend to try and relive what has already happened, in hopes of getting that feeling we once experienced again. For Gatsby, he was trying to recreate the love him and Daisy had once shared.
Andrea B. period 2
2/20/2014 01:06:19 pm
I agree with what Haley' saying. I think that the quote kind of meant that no one in the end is really going to care when one more person dies, that everything else is still going to continue.
Miranda L Period 4
2/19/2014 12:07:38 pm
My favorite quote is the last quote of the book, "So we beat on like boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Fitzgerald). This line relates to Gatsby and how he wanted to be with Daisy no matter what had happened in the past. He wanted a life with her and like a boat, he tried so hard to fight the truth that they could never be together. He tried to rid the past from his memory and move forward, but in the end, the past is what killed him. This quote also illustrates one of the main points of the book. The point that people try to forget the past, but in the end, the past is never forgotten.
Ali D. 4
2/20/2014 10:16:47 am
I agree with your reply. Gatsby had to "swim against the current" in a sense to win back Daisy and in the end he didn't get her, just like in the past. I think this last line explains the whole story like in a couple lines.
Jelani P 2
2/19/2014 12:08:52 pm
Nick, commenting on Tom and Daisy says, “They were careless people… they smashed up things and creatures and the retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness… and let other people clean up their mess.” (Fitzgerald 179). Throughout the book it is set up to make readers believe Gatsby and Daisy belong together and that Tom is not worthy of Daisy. Just as Daisy and Gatsby leave together, the finale of the book appears to be solved. After Daisy kills Myrtle and allows Gatsby to die it is evident that she really is no better than her husband, who has cheated on her. Gatsby, foolish enough to pursue after her, finds out in the end that people do not change and with his lone on 179, Fitzgerald highlights this and the characters in the book remain static characters with the exception of Nick.
Haley M period 4
2/20/2014 11:10:57 am
I also like this quote you picked out from the novel. I like the points that you made about how when Daisy leaves the readers realize that she is as low as her husband. She just leaves and shows no care for the one she supposedly loved. She was careless and only did what was best for her. She is shallow and would rather live a wealthy meaningless life rather than changing her ways to go with the one she loved.
Alayna D. Period 1
2/20/2014 11:23:03 am
I like the way you explain this quote Jelani. Daisy is just as low as Tom, she only married Tom for the money. Daisy could care less about if she marries for love or not all she wants is to keep her social status. I agree with you that this quote is directed at how static the characters were in Fitzgerald's novel.
Andrea B period 2
2/19/2014 12:09:45 pm
I think my favorite quote from the ending of the book was one we talked about in class. "I shook hands with him; it seemed silly not to, for I felt suddenly as though I were talking to a child. Then he went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace-or perhaps only a pair of cuff buttons- rid of my provincial squeamishness forever" (Fitzgerald 179). This one stood out to me a lot, not only from the fact that snuck refers to Tom as a "child" with how he deals with money and bad situations, but about the pearls. I don't think at this point he would be buying any pearls for Daisy. So they are probably for another woman, showing his old ways never will change. It makes him seam even more of a piece of garbage than he already is, but it seamed extremely significant and relevant to the point that people are only interested in themselves, a way a child would act. And Tom continuing to cheat is him continuing to only care about himself, going back to the point of "talking to a child."
Chris B 5
2/20/2014 12:59:55 pm
I loved this quote I almost threw the book when he shook hands with him it killed a little bit of me on the inside. I wanted so much to see the best in Nick and when he just accepts that Tom was a lost cause and that he had nothing to say to him because of it, I wanted to believe Nick could fix it.
Mark M P5
2/19/2014 12:11:18 pm
"We beat on, boats against the current," does a great job finishing the book. I took it as all of the characters having to move on with their lives with the loss of Gatsby. I feel that all characters except for Nick see Gatsby as the current that pushes them against the natural flow of their lives, which is ironic because nature forms the flow and currents of water.
Ryan Dowler P5
2/20/2014 06:45:01 am
I agree that it is a great way to end the novel. However, I see the current as just the past in general and how it can sometimes be hard to overcome; not just Gatsby's death. I also feel like even Nick didn't necessarily like Gatsby. He did say at the beginning that he "represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn" (Fitzgerald Chp 1).
Zak D Period 2
2/19/2014 12:18:51 pm
My favorite quote in the last part of chapter nine was, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they have made..." (Fitzgerald 179). This quote explains the lives of Daisy and Tom. They run away from their problems and let others pick up the mess they make. Anything bad that goes on in their life, they can just hide behind it or run away from it. Their lives are easy because they get away with whatever they want.
Kevin H p4
2/19/2014 12:19:58 pm
on the very last page, there are a few quotes that stand out to me. The first one is when Nick says "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter" (180). What this is saying is basically that Gatsby was motivated by his hopes for a better future, and regardless of what got into his way, he was always hopeful that somehow he could obtain the life that he wanted. This also goes along with the final two lines of the book that read "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (180). I think what Fitzgerald is trying to say with this is that regardless of how hopeful and persistent you are of a perfect life, you will never be able to achieve it because what we believe to be a perfect life is based off of experiences in our past. So the lesson that Fitzgerald is trying to teach through this is that you need to be content with your present situation, because that is the only way to achieve a perfect lifestyle.
DM 4
2/19/2014 12:21:00 pm
Personally I enjoyed the ending quote "We beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," as it describes nick and Gatsby's journey throughout the novel. Gatsby of course cannot escape the past in which he is madly in love with Daisy, so much so that he must create this illusion to win her over. Nick returns from the lavish lifestyle of the east to his roots in the west. However he can't completely start his new life in the west for he is holding on the the memory of Gatsby as he considered him a dear friend who was taken from him.
Ryan F 2
2/19/2014 12:21:43 pm
I was looking through the last chapter of the book and one quote stood out to me more than anything else. after the funeral, "Owl-eyes" calls Gatsby a "'poor son-of-a-bitch'" (Fitzgerald 175). I read that quote a few times before coming to the conclusion that Gatsby truly was a poor man. He tells us of his story of going from a poor man to a very rich man. Throughout the entire story, he tries to gain friends through his parties that he hosts. He even thinks that him having money will attract Daisy once again. However, all these parties get him is lonelier because none of the people who go are actually his friends. They just use him to have a good time and that is shown at the funeral when nobody shows up.
Emylee F. Period 5
2/20/2014 12:15:43 pm
I love this quote also, however, I think you can connect it even deeper with Gatsby. He was a poor man, not only by no one showing up to his funeral and no one really being his friends. But also because, the only value in his life was Daisy and anything that involved her. Although, he had her, even for a short time, he lost him. When he lost her, which we can infer he knew before the end of the novel, his dream had slightly lost it's value. Making him a poor man.
Tyler S Period 4
2/19/2014 12:22:11 pm
One of the quotes that I enjoyed from the very end of the book is when Nick says, "He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it" (Fitzgerald 115). This seemed like an interesting quote to me because I think that it is a great quote to nearly end the book with. Nick is finally realizing Jay's purpose on coming in and how bad his desire for Daisy was. I loved how it is placed not at the end but near the end and I think they way that Fitzgerald wrapped up the story overall was perfect.
Bri D. Period 2
2/19/2014 12:23:13 pm
My favorite quote from the end of the book was "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald). I look at it as the current being our past and it holding us back from our future. In Gatsby's situation, the current is the love he used to have with Daisy and he is trying to go back to her and fix things so they could be happy together again. I feel like this quote is a good ending to the book because it can be applied throughout.
Jordan T. P.4
2/19/2014 12:24:37 pm
My favorite quote is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back carelessly into the past" ( Fitzgerald 180). I think it means how there are things that are going to hold us back in life but like a boat trying to get somewhere, sometimes we have to preserver and get through it. I also think it has to so with how you can't change who you are, you will always have your memories and you just have to take what you have and keep going.
Carissa C. P4
2/20/2014 07:19:59 am
I agree with you Jordan. Perseverance, portrayed through the boat, is necessary to succeed and move forward. I also believe that the quote is saying that no matter how hard people try to forget the past, it will always stick with them and need to learn how to use it to help you.
Trevor K 4
2/19/2014 12:27:15 pm
The last chapter contains many powerful quotes about human nature. A quote that I found to be powerful was the conversation between Nick and the owl-eyed man."'I couldn't get to the house,' [owl-eyes] remarked. 'Neither could anybody else.' 'Go on!' He stated. 'Why, my God! they used to go there by the hundreds.' He took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in. 'The poor son-of-a-bitch,' he said"I like this quote because it really does show how depressing and alone Gatsby. He is unappreciated by many even though he is consistently generous and giving. I feel that owl-eyes is the human form of T.J. Eckleburg and that he sees beyond surface level. He sees that Gatsby was a great generous man surrounded by selfish people. I also think that this quote can be interpreted that money can't buy friends because even though Gatsby threw extravagant parties for many people, the people who came through proved to be no more than just faces in the crowd.
Daisy O. Period 4
2/20/2014 12:11:39 pm
I totally agree with you, Trevor. I think Fitzgerald is showing readers the true value of money. Money can buy Gatsby fancy shirts that ‘he took out and began throwing one by one” (73) to show Daisy what he’s got, but that does not win her back. Money also gave him the opportunity to throw elaborate parties with hundreds of people at his house every weekend, yet nobody showed up to his funeral. Money can only buy things; it cannot buy happiness or friends.
Rachel VB (4)
2/19/2014 12:30:23 pm
My favorite quote at the end of "The Great Gatsby" is when Nick says "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think this quote sums up what the entire novel is about. All of the characters are stuck in their past and it is effecting their daily lives. The novel is based around each character’s past. For example, the past relationship of Gatsby and Daisy is significant to understand who they are and why they do the things they do. The quote explains that although the past is the past, it never goes away and still effects people’s lives.
Mackenzie K. period 1
2/20/2014 08:19:30 am
I agree with you when you say that it sums up the novel well. Through out the novel the characters, especially Gatsby, is stuck in the past. It is only fitting that in the end, they continue to live in the past even after Gatsby dies.
Chris B
2/19/2014 12:31:07 pm
My favorite quote was most definetly "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (180) I loved this quote because I felt like Fitzgerald laid out this sprawling framework of a story to be suddenly completely connected back to the real world with this quote. As if to say now you know, take what you learned from Gatsby good and bad and use it in your life.
Shelby D 5
2/19/2014 12:34:02 pm
Personally, I found the last line of book the most monumental. After Nick finishes explaining the relevance of the green light, the novel concludes explaining how “we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 148). I believe this means that people are always trying to move forward against the ways of life, chasing their personal wants and desires, and for this we are constantly regressing never truly gaining the true potential of life. For me, this conclusion truly made the book spectacular. There was no need for further explanation and it flowed perfectly with the tone that was held throughout the last few scenes of the novel. The ending line put into perspective the entire novel.
Brenda N. 4
2/19/2014 12:34:37 pm
My favorite quote is, " It eluded us then, but that's no matter-to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning--- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (180). I think this is the perfect way to end the book. Not only does Fitzgerald confront the issue of the human nature, but he does it in a dark romantic sort of way. He first tells us that humans will try their best to look forward and proceed for a better future, but as we fight for our best against an unknown force, there will always be that one memory from the past that holds us back. I just really love how he says, 'borne back ceaselessly into the past.' I think its very clever wordplay and it really sets the whole novel.
Paulette D. Period 5
2/20/2014 08:55:53 am
I also found that quote to be interesting as well, because its a reference to "the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us" (Fitzgerald 180). Both quotes define Gatsby's struggle to reach the social status that he had, in order to win Daisy over. Gatsby was so focused on the past that he did not think of his future, causing the people around him to deal with his past and not focus on their own lives. Also i agree with Fitzgerald wanting people to look forward and not dwell in the past, as Gatsby did.
Elainie K 1
2/19/2014 12:35:00 pm
There were two quotes that particualary stood out to me near the end of "The Great Gatsby." The first is when Nick says, "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all-Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, we're all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly un adaptable to Eastern life" (Fitzgerald 176). He goes on to say, "Even when the East excited me the most... It had always for me a quality of distortion. West Egg... Still figures in my more fantastic dreams" (Fitzgerald 176). I think these quotes are a fantastic way in encompassing the theme of the entire novel. Fitzgerald uses this fantastic comparison between the west and east eggs to reflect the contrast of the characters and society. Fitzgerald uses "The Great Gatsby" to show the selfish and fake ways of society, and uses these different characters like Nick to emphasize society's flaws. Another one of my favorite quotes from the end of the novel is from Meyer Wolfsheim, when he is talking to Nick about the funeral. He says, "Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead" (Fitzgerald 172). I absolutely love and agree with this quote. It is interesting that Fitzgerald uses Wolfsheim for this quote because he normally doesn't have very many words of wisdom to share. However, Fitzgerald is expressing superficial and selfish the world can be at times. When Gatsby was alive, people were only attracted to his wealth. When he died, nobody was there to grieve. Fitzgerald is suggesting a more appreciative and loving outlook on life with this quote.
Kelly B P1
2/19/2014 12:39:13 pm
My favorite quote comes from the very end of the novel: "Gatsby was simply searching for something that could not be recovered--time" (Fitzgerald 180). This line is representative of one of the main themes present throughout the novel and is also applicable to everyday life. This quote supports the theme that one can only live life in the present. There is no going back in time or fast forwarding to the future. Gatsby tried for many years to chase after the past and try to bring it back to the future. He never lived in the present and that led to his ultimate dissatisfaction with his life.
Renick W. 1
2/19/2014 12:40:56 pm
A quote that really stuck out to me was the second to last paragraph. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter---to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..." (180). It really stood out because I think it really describes the human outlook on the future. We think that there is always something better, something more that we can achieve, and we continually strive for it. But once we reach one thing, there is always another, and another, so we never truly reach our personal "green light". But nevertheless that is all we look for and strive for in our actions.
Jack M P1
2/20/2014 08:56:23 am
I really like your choice of a quote and the way you look at it. It is really sad that a majority of the time dreams will not be reached, and the green light will fade from view, just as it did for Gatsby, for us too.
Jordan C 5
2/20/2014 01:17:15 pm
I completely agree. Especially when it comes to real life, there is never someone who is absolutely and completely fulfilled with their lives. As Fitzgerald explains, the green light is always just distant. Even through tout the story, Gatsby wasn't truly happy that he had all this money and fame and such, he wanted Daisy. When he got Daisy, the issues between him, her, and Tom arose quickly. Therefore, there was more to be unhappy about; more to strive to fix in order to be happy. This quote truly does reflect the nature of human it both in the book and in life.
Jennifer C. Period 1
2/19/2014 12:42:46 pm
Although the ending of the book may seem a little depressing to me, I found that it fitted well with the rest of the novel. One of my favorite parts from the last few pages involves how Gatsby had been so close to reach his goal. After so many years, he has worked hard and nonstop in order to fix the past with Daisy, however “he did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night” (Fitzgerald 180). As sad as it is, Gatsby never realized that he couldn't change what happened in the past. He may have gotten all of this wealth but Daisy couldn't be with him; she decides to betray him in the end by lying to Tom. Many readers would have been satisfied with a happier ending in which Gatsby and Daisy are reunited, but I find that him not accomplishing his dream almost better.
Nadim K. Period 2
2/19/2014 12:52:50 pm
I think a very important and meaningful quote from the last chapter of the book would have been,"Gatsby was simply searching for something that could not be recovered--time"(Fitzgerald 180). I think this quote is very important because it helps us understand that even though Gatsby wishes he could go back and fill in the time he was gone to war, he was never able to. It also shows us how you shouldn't live in the past and always look ahead to the future. Gatsby tried to recover the past but in the the end, it was unreachable.
Mary K. 4th Period.
2/19/2014 01:05:23 pm
My favorite quote was,"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back carelessly into the past" ( Fitzgerald 180). I took this quote as a basic sum-up of the book. Gatsby tried to fill in the blanks him and Daisy skipped, thus making their present the way nor Daisy or Gatsby wanted it to be. The quote explains that the past does exist. Before you can move on, it's going to haunt you day after day after day, until a day comes where you have to let go. If you don't, the past will be your biggest enemy that cannot be defeated.
Lyssa L. P4
2/19/2014 01:13:51 pm
My favorite quote was on the last page at the part where a clever analogy was made about Gatsby and settlers. Nick became aware of the old island at Gatsby's, that was once fresh, was new land for Dutch sailors that first discovered it. He compares this to the first settlers of America. Nick ponders to himself "And as I sat there, brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out Daisy's light at the end of his dock. He had come such a long way... but what he did not know was that it was already behind him, somewhere in the vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night" (Fitzgerald 180). Nick connects Gatsby's dream of regaining Daisy's love to the American Dream of the first settlers coming to America. Both were extravagant, but truthfully much more complicated and dangerous than anyone could have predicted. It's obvious how this could be true for adventurers, but as for in Gatsby's case, he loved and lost, and was eventually murdered. The reason that this connection gets to me so much because it was just written so beautifully and so cleverly. I appreciate figurative language that is used properly and effectively because it just enriches the details of the writing and makes it so much for fun and interesting to read.
Jordan C 5
2/19/2014 01:16:05 pm
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This quote sums up the entire focus of the story. The main fact is that Gatsby and Daisy were drawn to each other and one point in the past, and their love built off of that moment in time in the present. The entire story between Jay and Daisy is about being dragged into the past and trying to allow those feelings to be brought forth into the present day. Therefore, the quote explains it beautifully short, boats push on through the tough times and are drawn to a time they wish they felt, which was the past; a time thought to be more simple.
Gillian C P2
2/19/2014 01:19:01 pm
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"(180). I'm sure this quote is probably one of the most popular quotes found in The Great Gatsby and is more than likely over-used, but I honestly found this quote to be my favorite. It shines light on one of several themes in the novel, and is also something that I personally can relate to. A boat going against the current is a metaphor meaning that humans cannot move beyond their past. They're always looking back, dreaming that they can one day relive those past moments, as Gatsby had strived for his whole life after losing Daisy.
Jennifer C. Period 1
2/20/2014 07:16:11 am
I completely agree with you, Gillian. Throughout the entire novel, I feel that the subject of time and the past is mentioned in almost every chapter and it focuses on Gatsby’s actions of looking back constantly. His holds these extravagant parties and “find[s] [himself] among strangers before [he] drift[s] here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to [him]” (Fitzgerald 67). The theme of time or the past could also signify how society looks back and hopes for bright futures, just like Gatsby.
Bakari C.
2/19/2014 01:23:31 pm
obviously, I love this novel. It paints a beautiful picture to the 1920s. the novel truly comments on who people really are and what they can get sucked into. With that, I think one of the best quotes on the last few pages of the novel happen to be "We drew in deep breaths of it as we walked back from dinner through the cold vestibules, unutterably aware of our identity with this country for one strange hour before we melted indistinguishably into it again." I think this quotation is referring to one's necessity to others in this country. This quote is given after the funeral. I think it refers to Gatsby's death in the fact that Nick is upset that no one came. Almost shows momentary acknowledgement of an individual and how quickly that can be taken away.
Alyssa Z. period 4
2/19/2014 01:24:04 pm
My favorite quote was actually the last words in the novel "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Gatsby 180). I think Fitzgerald means by this is resembling the death of Gatsby and how his death was a bump in the road for the characters past. But just as Tom and Daisy left, people are forced to move on with life regardless of their past.
Jelani P 2
2/20/2014 01:01:27 pm
I feel like this quote could be looked at two ways. One of the ways you already talked about is the characters pitting the past behind them and moving on. I also think that it could be looked, at least from Tom and Daisy's perspective, as a forgettable event. I think that both Buchanan's could care less about the death of Gatsby. The Gatsby experience was simply a small wave crushed against the "boats against the current" (Fitzgerald 180) for Tom and Daisy.
Anna W. 1st
2/19/2014 01:25:56 pm
I can't pick out my favorite quote from these few pages because there are a few that I really like, but after Tom explains to Nick what he said to Wilson, Nick narrates, "I couldn't forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused," (179). These two sentences, to me are a very valuable life lesson that reminds me of things my parents tell me. I've always been taught to try to understand why people do things instead of judging them for something that doesn't make sense to you, and that's what I believe Fitzgerald is trying to say. Nick already doesn't really like Tom as a person and he realizes that Tom is careless, but he understands Tom's point of view and moves on.
Justin C Period 2
2/19/2014 01:35:11 pm
"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us..." I think this quote describes how Gatsby so strongly believed that things from the past were bound to happen again just because he wanted it to. It's tragic that he died still believing that him and Daisy were to be together again someday, when in reality Daisy was not the kind of person he thought she was.
Jake S 4
2/19/2014 01:39:03 pm
My favorite quote from Fitzgerald was, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us"(Fitzgerald 180). Here Gatsby is essentially making a comment on anyone that tries to live an extravagant life similar to Gatsby in this novel. Even if you have all of the money and throw big parties; living “in the green light” that excitement will always begin to fade away as time passes on. He does not make a comment about it but I believe that Gatsby is trying to get the reader that instead of this extravagant life that after time fades away and leaves a person with only emptiness similar to what Gatsby must of felt not being able to obtain Daisy, one should live searching for genuine things that make them truly happy.
Scott A 5th
2/20/2014 05:55:24 am
I liked the quote that you used because it was a message to the reader from Fitzgerald himself. Fitzgerald is stating that no matter how many material items one has they will be left empty inside. Gatsby believed in hope and strived to become the man that he wanted to be. He aquired wealth (illegally) to get him closer to Daisy. He lived in a house across from Daisy's and saw a green light across the bay. He saw hope and wanted to achieve his dreams.
Josh S. 5
2/19/2014 01:47:37 pm
I really enjoyed how Fitzgerald chose to end the novel with the words "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."I believe that this quote ends and wraps it up with a very melancholic way. I think it means that we are constantly trying to move forward with our lives, to continue towards our future, but at the same time, we are trying to forget our past. Because the present is constantly becoming the past, it is a constant fight to push forward. Stand still in a moment for even a second and you will find yourself in the past. It upholds the same idea as another very popular quote "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The quote really concludes the story as a whole really well with the theme that life moves on and we try to leave that past behind and that's always difficult.
Ambreen M (period 1)
2/19/2014 01:49:24 pm
my favorite quote from the end of the chapter would be “And as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock." (Fitzgerald 182). This quote explains how he was so obsessed with getting Daisy back that, this was the only thing he focused on and didn't achieve and the color green represents money and wealth
Katelyn B Period 2
2/20/2014 10:57:01 am
Though I do agree with you on your statement that Gatsby revolved his life around getting Daisy back I feel that the quote has a deeper meaning. The part that states "...as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world" (Fitzgerald 180) shows Nick reviewing the past events of that summer and Gatsby's ultimate goal to win over Daisy's affection. Gatsby constantly dwelt on his past relationship with Daisy and wanted to relive it as if these past five years never happened. To gain back Daisy he knew he had to become wealthy, which was just one of the stepping stones to give Daisy everything she wanted in a relationship. The color green from what you said represents wealth which is what Gatsby reached out for to lure Daisy back into his grasp, which is probably an element to why he first picked out a green light at the end of Daisy's dock. Her greed for wealth was what Gatsby had to obtain to give her exactly what she had wanted in their previous relationship; but Nick knew that becoming rich was not going to be enough to win Daisy's affection at this point because too much time had already passed and Daisy was no longer living in the past as Gatsby did.
Casey D 4
2/19/2014 02:05:47 pm
One of my favorite quotes from chapter 9 that really stands out to be is the last sentence of the novel, when Nick says, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (189). When Nick compares peoples' lives to boats being back against a current, always returning to where the boat started, he is stating that although people use a lot of superficial markers to prove that they are progressing in life, most people never actually discover what it means to live significant lives. Thus they are "beat back against the current" and stay where they started. For example one may think that buying a bigger house means that their life's worth is increasing, yet they can still be lonely and have not made a deeper connection with another person, thus their life really isn't getting any better.
Chris Q 1
2/20/2014 08:48:45 am
This is an interesting take on the quote. I like how you thought that the current represented superficiality.
Brandon K 4
2/19/2014 02:08:27 pm
My favorite line form the last few pages of the novel is at the very ending; “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back careless into the past” (189). I think this is ultimately a good ending to the book as well as a reference and thinking point for many ideas behind “The Great Gatsby”. It is generally a good ending because it is very ambiguous to get the reader to think about the entirety of the book while at the same time wrapping things up. One of the main ideas that this wraps up is the use of time throughout the book. There are plenty of look backs into characters backgrounds and points in time. Also one of the biggest symbols is a clock which is used to show Gatsby fumbling with the idea of what he has done with all of his time to lead up to certain points and eventually his ending. To me the current represents time, and how every character as well as all of society in the 20’s was trying to make the most of every moment by ignoring everything and all consequences to just have fun in the present. Also the last part of the line is how people cant get time back. Once it goes then it is gone forever for them so they are forced into a situation of living in the present but focusing on the past and what could have been.
Gilton C P4
2/19/2014 02:11:40 pm
“And As the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes--a fresh, green breast of the new world.” (Chapter 9) This line stuck out the most for me as if the reader was allowed to peer above the smoke and breathe fresh air once more. Nick describes how the houses of the rich, all large and illustrious, are fading away at the rise of the moon shining its light unto this island. This green island giving a more solid foundation of morals and understanding than a glimmering emerald light. This green island symbolizing what can be accomplished without vast quantities of wealth and an American dream much more securable is ironically the foundation of Gatsby’s home.
Casey D 4
2/20/2014 01:55:13 pm
I really like this quote and think that the green island is a good representation of the unspoiled nature that inspired many of the romantic writers. Only when man inhabits this island and bring with him the greed and sin that he carries does this island experience problems. While many Americans may view new construction as progress, it can also regress humans as well, taking them further away from the pure truth that nature provides.
Costa D.
2/19/2014 09:06:02 pm
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Life moves on and all past stays behind. Gatsby's broken dream fades away and all there is now is to re-live the past. The current of the water mark the split between Gatsby home and Diasy's home. It is uneasy at this point to show that the ending of Gatsby was tragic and abrupt. History will still remain.
Andrea C. 2
2/20/2014 05:38:31 am
One of my favorite quotes from the last pages in the novel was when Jordan says, "You threw me over on the telephone. I don't give a damn about you now, but it was a new experience for me, and I felt a little dizzy for a while" (177). I like this quote because it just adds to the character of Nick and how traditional he is about getting closure with a girl. In the 20s I don't think it was usually common to call someone and break up with them, so she was really confused as to what happened between them. The new experience of a breakup was new to her and it just shows that Nick is sure about getting closure.
Kyra J. Period 1
2/20/2014 08:45:36 am
I agree with you Andrea, and I can relate this quote to today. Now breaking up over the phone is common, and the fact that Nick decided to do it over the phone does show how he wanted immediate closure. The only thing I'm confused about is how does this breakup show how Nick is a traditional man? Is it because he didn't breakup with her the same way other men did back then, or is it something else?
Kevin T P1
2/20/2014 06:19:25 am
My favorite quote from the ending is “Owl-eyes spoke to me by the gate. “ I couldn’t get to the house,” he remarked. “Neither could anybody else.” “Go on!” He started. “Why, my God! They used to go there by the hundreds.” He took off his glasses and wiped them again, outside and in. “The poor son-of-a-bitch,” he said.”(Fitzgerald174). It’s Fitzgerald’s comment on society. People may only care about other, if they get something out it. The moment that they stop receiving whatever that may be whether it be money, clothes, or in Gatsby’s case extravagant parties.
Kathryn P P2
2/20/2014 11:15:22 am
I completely agree with you, Kevin. People during the roaring twenties, and even now, were too carried away with all the extravagant things and disregarded their moral values a good percent of the time. People want to take the easy way out of the things and get them done faster.
Imani B. 5
2/20/2014 09:01:18 am
My favorite quote was "He had come a long was to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fiels of the republic rolled on under the night." (Fitzgerald 180). I thought it meant that Gatsby didn't know that the dream that he had been trying to reach was already over with and that he was basically trying to bring something back that wasn't meant to be, like his love for Daisy.
TJ A.
2/20/2014 10:48:54 am
My favorite quote from the last few pages is when Nick describes how "the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human races"(Fitzgerald 189). I think it is referencing to the fact that Gatsby is in a way, the embodiment of the American dream. This is pivotal as it by nature can change the meaning of many other symbols and allusions within the book to bend to one central theme of the 'death' of the American dream.
Stefan C. p5
2/20/2014 01:51:02 pm
A quote that stuck out to me at the end of the novel was, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eludes us then, but that is no matter-- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther....". I think it means that Gatsby kept waiting for the future that the green light represented, which was living a happy life with Daisy, but when she finally came to him he almost let her slip away and his opportunity got away from him. This really relates to the thought of the american dream in my opinion. I think this because all people want and seek the american dream and some don't capitalize on all opportunities, and thats where the last part of the quote comes in. When you fail the first time you can't stop you always have to pursue it and don't stop until you achieve it.
Ashlee P. 5
2/21/2014 09:28:47 am
A quote that I love and have quoted before is when Nick muses that, "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all--Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life," (Fitzgerald e-reader). I like this quote because i think it points out a major theme of the novel which i believe is about the allusions that Gatsby's party offers and the shallow nature of those in the story. The Midwest is boring and dreary compared to the east, but the glittering parties only blind you from what's really going on underneath the surface. Once you learn the truth about the people there, one might not want to live there at all and would rather have a boring life that is more morally fulfilling
Richard W. Period 5
2/23/2014 01:44:50 pm
My favorite quote from the last few pages of the "The Great Gatsby" is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 180). I think that Fitzgerald is trying to tell the readers not to repeat Gatsby's actions. Gatsby had his mind set and reliving the past and rekindling his relationship with Daisy. Fitzgerald is trying to get the point across to always continue to move forward. Gatsby did the opposite of this and did not receieve anything back in return except for and early death. I feel that this is a very powerful qoute and it sums up the novel very well.
Mahia P - Per. 1
2/24/2014 10:37:18 am
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that Fitzgerald's writing was outstanding, and I loved the language, the details, and descriptions. My favorite quote from the end of the book is, "When we pulled out into the winter night and the real snow, our snow, began to stretch out beside us and twinkle against the windows, and the dim lights of small Wisconsin stations moved by, a sharp wild brace came suddenly into the air" (Fitzgerald 175). The reason why I like this quote is that I really enjoy the language and word choice that Fitzgerald uses throughout the novel. The descriptiveness really makes the readers connect with Nick, and I enjoyed that about the novel.
Ryan C 4
2/25/2014 12:09:04 pm
The ending of the novel is a very interesting one. I did not like the way that it ended, I was kind of hoping for more. One quote that sticks out to me is "to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..." (180). This contradicts the Willa Cather quote at the beginning of the modernism chapter of our textbook. Cather says that "men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things" Fitzgerald shows readers that they will indeed go to better things.
Caleb S, Period 5
2/25/2014 12:22:45 pm
The quote that I really liked from the end novel was when Nick ends with "we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly in the past”. In the book Gatsby constantly moves toward the green light. He wanted the green light more than anything. But the thing that trips him up is that Daisy is in the past and Gatsby is longing for something that he can not have at the moment. And that is when nicks quote comes in. Even now a days people still are always living in the past, we try to fix things that we cannot. This quote proves a theme in the book that you cannot live too much in the past or future because it never works out.
Ryan C 4
2/26/2014 03:50:02 am
The ending of the novel is a rather interesting one. I did not like the way it ended, I was kind of hoping for more answers as to why Nick left New York. That being said, a quote that sticks out to me is part of the final paragraph: "to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..." (180). It shows the hope that better days are ahead for all, and they will run faster. The aforementioned goes against the Willa Cather quote at the beginning of the modernism chapter of our textbooks. She said "Men travel faster now, but I do not know if they go to better things" Unlike Cather, Fitzgerald shows hope for the future and does indeed believe that society as a whole is bound for better things.
Ryan C 4
2/26/2014 03:53:40 am
Sorry, Didn't realize I already posted that one.
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