Great Gatsby analytical essay

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In, “The Great Gatsby,” we learn about many different themes and ideas that are presented to us in the book. The themes and ideas are presented to us through the results of the choices and actions that the characters make in the story, ranging from Tom’s adultery to Gatsby’s nostalgia. One theme Fitzgerald teaches to his readers, is that nostalgia (an extreme longing for the past) can cause many problems in a person’s life, through the use of several literary elements that are found within the story. At the end of the first chapter, Fitzgerald uses symbolism to portray Gatsby’s nostalgia, by introducing us to the “mysterious green light at the end of the dock” to which Gatsby stares at. The Green light, due to it’s color, symbolizes Gatsby’s Hopes and dreams which is is the completion of his materialistic wealth through his marriage of Daisy. The green color represents wealth, which is his love for Daisy, in which the color reveals to us that Gatsby’s wealth would be complete, when he finally gets Daisy to marry him. As stated above, the green light is the first symbolic depiction of Gatsby’s nostalgia, which is his love for Daisy and his dream of marrying her to complete his wealth. Near the end of chapter 6, the author uses hubris to point out the nostalgia and delusion expressed by Gatsby, even after he is told that he can’t change the past. When Nick tells Gatsby, “you can’t repeat the past,” Gatsby replies to Nick’s statement by saying, “why of course you can,” this statement is what implies that Gatsby is nostalgic and delusional, despite contrary evidence to prove Gatsby’s statement as incorrect. Also, even though Daisy was married to Tom, Gatsby was still obsessed with marrying Daisy, as it was shown in chapter 5 where h... ... middle of paper ... ...onging for the past, is futile and will only result in bad events in the future, up to the point that there is no longer any future for the nostalgic individual. In conclusion, we have learnt that nostalgia is what will keep an individual from reaching the future and any further longing for the past, will lead to an end of the possibility of a future for the individual. Gatsby, being an example in the story, was delusionally filled with nostalgia and as a result he met the tragic fate that he met at the end of chapter 8, with his death after being shot by George Wilson. Overall, the lesson that Fitzgerald has taught to his readers, is that we must leave the past behind and move forward towards the future or else the past will pull us behind with it and the future will no longer exist for us, for a tragic end is the result of delusionally continuing to be nostalgic.

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