Aphorism In The Great Gatsby

Sisyphus, a Greek myth character, was condemned to push a giant boulder up a hill for eternity, only for it to return to the bottom before he can finish his task. Similarly, Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, Nick from The Great Gatsby, and even the 1920’s society itself move both forwards and backwards simultaneously as they navigate the waters of life. F. Scott Fitzgerald addresses this aphorism throughout the novel, and the final lines summarize it very thoroughly: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald, 189). As described in the final lines of the novel, the main characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the society in which they live portray the contrasting pull of life and the continual movement both forwards and back.
Jay Gatsby, the rich gangster formerly known as James Gatz, moves both forward and back as he tried to recreate his relationship with Daisy. At first, his intentions are kind and caring, however
Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, but it is also seen in the 1920’s society itself. As new developments in technology, the prohibition on alcohol, and a promising economy began to appear, things began to move forward from the devastation caused by World War I. People began to have hope for the future. Accompanying this forward progression, in the continual pattern, is loosening of morals and increase in substance abuse, a backward movement from the promising outlook. Because of this, society was placed more in the past than ever. These effects brought the world backward until the progression made was overwhelmed by the lack of morals. However, these events were not completely destructive. The backwards movement brought society American staples such as jazz and important rights for women. It is understood that progressing and moving forward is important, nevertheless good can come from the backwards movement as long as forward progression is made in the