The Great Gatsby Quote Analysis
Longing For the Past
With the moonlight beating down on Gatsby with an almost sad, dim glow, Gatsby’s heart slowly breaks watching Daisy and Tom share a meal, talking, neither of them unhappy, just peaceful. Gatsby knows he has lost, but he is unable to let go of Daisy, and thus, he waits outside of her and Tom’s apartment until the early hours of the next morning just holding on to the smallest bit of hope that he has left. At this point, Gatsby is pathetically waiting for what he had been hoping for throughout the whole novel, something he knows he cannot have. Perpetually stuck in his past and obsessed with his love for Daisy, Gatsby is unable live a day of his current life without striving to make the past become reality.
Subtle symbolism is used frequently in Fitzgerald’s writing. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses symbolism multiple times to reference the past. Throughout the whole novel Fitzgerald mentions the green light shining from Daisy’s dock. This green light symbolizes both the past and the future. Gatsby reaches out towards the green light either …show more content…
After Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy didn’t have much fun at his party Nick replies, “You can’t repeat the past,” which Gatsby confidently replies with, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (110). This exchange is evidence that Gatsby is living in the past and is unable to see that his past has become a fantasy. At this point Gatsby has blown his past image of Daisy into something much larger and more magnificent than she is able to be in reality. Gatsby has twisted his idea of the past so much that he has gained extremely high expectations for his future. Nick’s comment is foreshadowing that Gatsby’s dream to be with Daisy will never be lived out. Along with this, Gatsby’s reply foreshadows his heartbreak and foolish feeling he suffers after realizing that Daisy has left him for
With the moonlight beating down on Gatsby with an almost sad, dim glow, Gatsby’s heart slowly breaks watching Daisy and Tom share a meal, talking, neither of them unhappy, just peaceful. Gatsby knows he has lost, but he is unable to let go of Daisy, and thus, he waits outside of her and Tom’s apartment until the early hours of the next morning just holding on to the smallest bit of hope that he has left. At this point, Gatsby is pathetically waiting for what he had been hoping for throughout the whole novel, something he knows he cannot have. Perpetually stuck in his past and obsessed with his love for Daisy, Gatsby is unable live a day of his current life without striving to make the past become reality.
Subtle symbolism is used frequently in Fitzgerald’s writing. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses symbolism multiple times to reference the past. Throughout the whole novel Fitzgerald mentions the green light shining from Daisy’s dock. This green light symbolizes both the past and the future. Gatsby reaches out towards the green light either …show more content…
After Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy didn’t have much fun at his party Nick replies, “You can’t repeat the past,” which Gatsby confidently replies with, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (110). This exchange is evidence that Gatsby is living in the past and is unable to see that his past has become a fantasy. At this point Gatsby has blown his past image of Daisy into something much larger and more magnificent than she is able to be in reality. Gatsby has twisted his idea of the past so much that he has gained extremely high expectations for his future. Nick’s comment is foreshadowing that Gatsby’s dream to be with Daisy will never be lived out. Along with this, Gatsby’s reply foreshadows his heartbreak and foolish feeling he suffers after realizing that Daisy has left him for