The Great Gatsby: Gatsby and Nick's Friendship
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”
The ending line in The Great Gatsby, spoken by the narrator Nick Carraway, who reflects upon Gatsby’s life, likening him unto a boat against the current of the times. Nick’s avid description of the hardships Gatsby faced has more dimension than the utter surface it surmises. Nick’s farewell is infused with Gatsby as a character that further examination pinpoints the underlying meaning that Fitzgerald clearly wrote. Gatsby’s life, his dreams, and his failures; all summed up by one last line. Nick likens Gatsby’s struggles unto a boat, possibly having a connection with the birth of Gatsby being on a boat (Dan Cody’s yacht), and yet paraphrases his difficulties. The tide of life is different upon where you are sailing, and Gatsby sailed in treacherous waters. His affiliation into wealthy society begins by his own driving force, his dream to be reunited with Daisy again, yet this time with actual wealth. He beats on against a current that is the world’s uncaring for his actual being. Before his wealth, Gatz was nothing, although Gatsby was made by his money; very similar to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein monster’s philosophy of being nothing for he had nothing. Gatsby went against all currents, and yet was brought down by his own anchor: Daisy. Her ignorant lifestyle and purely despicable being brought about Gatsby’s demise by her own selfishness. Gatsby falls upon his sword for her, whose funeral is only attended by Nick and a brief pass in by Gatsby’s father. Gatsby went to great lengths to fulfill his delusion of reunion with Daisy, and in doing so accumulated a grandiose wealth that matched that of the Buchanan dynasty. However is ceaseless attempt of making things as they were, as they couldn’t be, and as they would never become. Gatsby’s never-ending fairy tale that he bears ceaselessly into the past was farce. The failure of Gatsby had not brought down the giant among men.
The ending line in The Great Gatsby, spoken by the narrator Nick Carraway, who reflects upon Gatsby’s life, likening him unto a boat against the current of the times. Nick’s avid description of the hardships Gatsby faced has more dimension than the utter surface it surmises. Nick’s farewell is infused with Gatsby as a character that further examination pinpoints the underlying meaning that Fitzgerald clearly wrote. Gatsby’s life, his dreams, and his failures; all summed up by one last line. Nick likens Gatsby’s struggles unto a boat, possibly having a connection with the birth of Gatsby being on a boat (Dan Cody’s yacht), and yet paraphrases his difficulties. The tide of life is different upon where you are sailing, and Gatsby sailed in treacherous waters. His affiliation into wealthy society begins by his own driving force, his dream to be reunited with Daisy again, yet this time with actual wealth. He beats on against a current that is the world’s uncaring for his actual being. Before his wealth, Gatz was nothing, although Gatsby was made by his money; very similar to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein monster’s philosophy of being nothing for he had nothing. Gatsby went against all currents, and yet was brought down by his own anchor: Daisy. Her ignorant lifestyle and purely despicable being brought about Gatsby’s demise by her own selfishness. Gatsby falls upon his sword for her, whose funeral is only attended by Nick and a brief pass in by Gatsby’s father. Gatsby went to great lengths to fulfill his delusion of reunion with Daisy, and in doing so accumulated a grandiose wealth that matched that of the Buchanan dynasty. However is ceaseless attempt of making things as they were, as they couldn’t be, and as they would never become. Gatsby’s never-ending fairy tale that he bears ceaselessly into the past was farce. The failure of Gatsby had not brought down the giant among men.