Explain the significance of the last page of the novel in relation to Gatsby's dream and the American dream. Use at least one piece of evidence from the text in your response.
Gatsby's dream was very similar to the American dream because he wanted change. The American dream is seeking for a better life where there are more opportunities. In that way,Gatsby's dream was just like the American dream because he sought change from his initial life just for his first love Daisy. He changed his social status, his class, and worked night and day to find ways to make himself more worthy for Daisy. Then he finally felt as if he was worthy enough for Daisy when he bought his mansion just across the bay from Daisy. Nick describes Gatsby's dream by saying, ¨ He had come along 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 in" (Fitzgerald 180). As it shows, Gatsby's dream was a life long struggle for him which the American dream is also for many people. As most other people, Gatsby too faced many obstacles, however he was able to keep pushing through because his goal in life was determined and he felt as if there was nothing that could stop him. In conclusion Gatsby's dream was very similar to the American dream, however by trying to achieve something that may not have been very realistic, he ended up ¨sacrificing¨ his own life.
Gemini, I agree with the fact that Gatsby dream is similar to the American Dream. They both include moving your life in the best direction it can go. For Gatsby that was Daisy. I agree how you said, in the end it was his pursuit in an unrealistic dream that killed him.
I also agree with Gemini. That although Gatsby's dream was similar to the American Dream, although it could be argued to have been different. He struggled in life to reach his end result- great wealth. Although to reach his ultimate goal he had to sacrifice his life which shows that his dream may have been unrealistic.
You bring up some very good points about the American Dream. There was definitely great sacrifice for him in obtaining the "dream." You did a nice job of practicing quote integration as well. This was a very solid choice in evidence for the point you sought to make. Well done.
The last page of the novel reveals Nick's curiosity about Gatsby's dream. As Nick looks up at the mansion, he states that Gatsby "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 189). I believe that Gatsby's thought that him and Daisy would be together in the end no matter the circumstance is the exact thing that kept them from being together. Gatsby was too confident and too focused on the past to make a new and better relationship with Daisy. Their relationship became much more surrounded by money and material than love, which was everything before. Gatsby's American Dream ultimately is not a success because Daisy's love for him never lived up to his expectations.
I agree with you because I feel that the relationship they had was based more on the material things they owned other than the love they claimed they had for each other. I am not saying they didn't love each other I am just saying that the way society classified them was more important than what they actually felt.
I agree with your analysis matt as I also believe that Gatsby came extremely close to reaching his American dream. After accumulating a vast amount of wealth, Gatsby almost fulfilled his dream by getting with Daisy. Unfortunately, i also agree with you that he tried to hold on to their past relationship which alienated Daisy. As a result, Gatsby was never able to fulfill his dream of living a wealthy life with Daisy.
Matt, I agree with you because Gatsby's love was so far fetched that it almost seemed impossible for a human being to grasp it. Gatsby's love for Daisy was so far out of this world that even if Daisy was able to show love to him, he wanted much more. I also agree with your use of textual evidence. That quote truly represents Gatsby's dream in one line, a man full of everything he could want but one thing he could never grasp.
Very solid point here. He did all in his power to secure his dream, but he was ultimately let down by factors out of his control. He could not recreate the feelings that Daisy once had for him. Good work integrating the quote into your response.
The last page signifies that even if someone works very hard at something they may not achieve it. Gatsby's dream was to be with Daisy and he changed his life in order to fulfill this dream. Gatsby, however could not make his dream a reality and Nick says, "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" (Fitzgerald 180). Even though Gatsby worked hard and seemed to do everything right in the end he could not fulfill his goal. The American dream is that any one can achieve anything and Gatsby achieved many accomplishments however like the American dream it might not always happen.
I enjoy your optimism about the American Dream. However, I believe that Fitzgerald's story has a darker interpretation about it. The American Dream, which was exemplified by Gatsby, was a false hope. Even to Gatsby, his dreams of ever being with Daisy vanished, but not in the way it seemed. Gatsby created this illusion of wealth and the love Daisy had for him when in reality it never existed. He believed the lie for so long that he actually thought of it as being truth. The American Dream is similar because of the false hopes we are insured to. We make ourselves believe that the Dream is possible, but in reality it's nothing else but a dream, a fiction of reality. It never existed and when we believe that it does it can hurt us just like Gatsby.
Overall, you bring up some very solid points, James. Be sure to choose only the MOST important piece of the evidence to integrate into your writing. You want to ROOT the quote into your own language.
The last page talked about how Gatsby's dream was basically to have Daisy, and all that he did was for her. Gatsby had ultimately achieved the american dream, he went from being very poor to having lots of money. Gatsby lived the kind of lifestyle everybody wanted. Gatsby's dream was more than that though. "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 didn't think he would die so suddenly he thought he would have more time to be with daisy.
Very thoughtful response, but be sure to integrate your quote/evidence into your own writing. This is a floating quote that stands alone without an anchor (your own writing).
the green light could also mean the complete opposite. In the completely material sense, maybe it was everything that the American dream had to offer. Gatsby built up his wealth and he had everything he would ever need. He was successful, popular(from the outside looking in), wealthy, and handsome. The last thing he needed to complete his picture was Daisy. Little did he know that she was unobtainable.
Maybe Gatsby was obtaining the American dream unconsciously. He had it right there in front of him but all he wanted was Daisy.
Gatsby's dream was very similar to the American dream because he wanted change. The American dream is seeking for a better life where there are more opportunities. In that way,Gatsby's dream was just like the American dream because he sought change from his initial life just for his first love Daisy. He changed his social status, his class, and worked night and day to find ways to make himself more worthy for Daisy. Then he finally felt as if he was worthy enough for Daisy when he bought his mansion just across the bay from Daisy. Nick describes Gatsby's dream by saying, ¨ He had come along 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 in" (Fitzgerald 180). As it shows, Gatsby's dream was a life long struggle for him which the American dream is also for many people. As most other people, Gatsby too faced many obstacles, however he was able to keep pushing through because his goal in life was determined and he felt as if there was nothing that could stop him. In conclusion Gatsby's dream was very similar to the American dream, however by trying to achieve something that may not have been very realistic, he ended up ¨sacrificing¨ his own life.
ReplyDeleteGemini,
DeleteI agree with the fact that Gatsby dream is similar to the American Dream. They both include moving your life in the best direction it can go. For Gatsby that was Daisy. I agree how you said, in the end it was his pursuit in an unrealistic dream that killed him.
I also agree with Gemini. That although Gatsby's dream was similar to the American Dream, although it could be argued to have been different. He struggled in life to reach his end result- great wealth. Although to reach his ultimate goal he had to sacrifice his life which shows that his dream may have been unrealistic.
DeleteYou bring up some very good points about the American Dream. There was definitely great sacrifice for him in obtaining the "dream." You did a nice job of practicing quote integration as well. This was a very solid choice in evidence for the point you sought to make. Well done.
DeleteThe last page of the novel reveals Nick's curiosity about Gatsby's dream. As Nick looks up at the mansion, he states that Gatsby "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 189). I believe that Gatsby's thought that him and Daisy would be together in the end no matter the circumstance is the exact thing that kept them from being together. Gatsby was too confident and too focused on the past to make a new and better relationship with Daisy. Their relationship became much more surrounded by money and material than love, which was everything before. Gatsby's American Dream ultimately is not a success because Daisy's love for him never lived up to his expectations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because I feel that the relationship they had was based more on the material things they owned other than the love they claimed they had for each other. I am not saying they didn't love each other I am just saying that the way society classified them was more important than what they actually felt.
DeleteI agree with your analysis matt as I also believe that Gatsby came extremely close to reaching his American dream. After accumulating a vast amount of wealth, Gatsby almost fulfilled his dream by getting with Daisy. Unfortunately, i also agree with you that he tried to hold on to their past relationship which alienated Daisy. As a result, Gatsby was never able to fulfill his dream of living a wealthy life with Daisy.
DeleteMatt, I agree with you because Gatsby's love was so far fetched that it almost seemed impossible for a human being to grasp it. Gatsby's love for Daisy was so far out of this world that even if Daisy was able to show love to him, he wanted much more. I also agree with your use of textual evidence. That quote truly represents Gatsby's dream in one line, a man full of everything he could want but one thing he could never grasp.
DeleteVery solid point here. He did all in his power to secure his dream, but he was ultimately let down by factors out of his control. He could not recreate the feelings that Daisy once had for him. Good work integrating the quote into your response.
DeleteThe last page signifies that even if someone works very hard at something they may not achieve it. Gatsby's dream was to be with Daisy and he changed his life in order to fulfill this dream. Gatsby, however could not make his dream a reality and Nick says, "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" (Fitzgerald 180). Even though Gatsby worked hard and seemed to do everything right in the end he could not fulfill his goal. The American dream is that any one can achieve anything and Gatsby achieved many accomplishments however like the American dream it might not always happen.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your optimism about the American Dream. However, I believe that Fitzgerald's story has a darker interpretation about it. The American Dream, which was exemplified by Gatsby, was a false hope. Even to Gatsby, his dreams of ever being with Daisy vanished, but not in the way it seemed. Gatsby created this illusion of wealth and the love Daisy had for him when in reality it never existed. He believed the lie for so long that he actually thought of it as being truth. The American Dream is similar because of the false hopes we are insured to. We make ourselves believe that the Dream is possible, but in reality it's nothing else but a dream, a fiction of reality. It never existed and when we believe that it does it can hurt us just like Gatsby.
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DeleteOverall, you bring up some very solid points, James. Be sure to choose only the MOST important piece of the evidence to integrate into your writing. You want to ROOT the quote into your own language.
DeleteThe last page talked about how Gatsby's dream was basically to have Daisy, and all that he did was for her. Gatsby had ultimately achieved the american dream, he went from being very poor to having lots of money. Gatsby lived the kind of lifestyle everybody wanted. Gatsby's dream was more than that though. "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 didn't think he would die so suddenly he thought he would have more time to be with daisy.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful response, but be sure to integrate your quote/evidence into your own writing. This is a floating quote that stands alone without an anchor (your own writing).
Deletethe green light could also mean the complete opposite. In the completely material sense, maybe it was everything that the American dream had to offer. Gatsby built up his wealth and he had everything he would ever need. He was successful, popular(from the outside looking in), wealthy, and handsome. The last thing he needed to complete his picture was Daisy. Little did he know that she was unobtainable.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Gatsby was obtaining the American dream unconsciously. He had it right there in front of him but all he wanted was Daisy.
Interesting points, but you are missing textual evidence!
DeleteI agree with your statement. Maybe the american dream can never be had but only observed from afar never being totally attained.
ReplyDelete