Friday, November 9, 2012
The End...
Every year I read this book and love the ending. Not that I love the fact that the book is ending. Rather, I love the drama, meloncholy, glim hope, and questions that the ending produces. Just like Gatsby's parties, Gatsby's death is a spectacle soon to be forgotten. Some of you have written about the disappointment apparent in Fitz's voice, and I can't help but agree with you. No one knows the real Gatsby, not even his father! He, too, is enamored with Gatsby's house and wealth, thinking of Gatsby as "'a great man. A man like James J. Hill. He'd of helped build up the country'" (176). Little does he know that Gatsby's money - obtained illegally, by the way - is really all a ploy to win over a girl. Not that Gatsby's dream is anything to scoff at; it just isn't about altruism or philanthropy. Wolfsheim won't come to the funeral, neither will Tom or Daisy (obviously, but let's talk about this in class), Klipspringer, Jordan, or any of his myriad partygoers who used him time and time again. I know I've said this before, but I love the way Fitz distances his readers from Gatsby, almost as if we were his partygoers way back when. Through Nick's eyes, we think we know Gatsby, but how much do we really know? How much does Nick really know? And why does Owl Eyes come to the funeral? What does he think he knows to compel him to tag along? I think we do have an idea of what Nick said in Chapter one: "Gatsby turned out all right in the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby...that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men" (6 - 7). Obviously, dying is not "all right." What Nick means instead is that Gatsby had a dream and he stuck to it until the bitter end, which is more than can be said for most characters in this book. Fitz ends the book talking too of the American Dream: the Dutch sailors seeing Long Island for the first time, Gatsby's green light. I'd like to discuss this last line in class. Does Fitz think the dream is now impossible, like "boats against the current" (189), or does Fitz believe the dream still is possible, only hard to obtain, needing honesty, integrity, and wisdom to win over? Either way, we cannot fight against the past. It makes us who we are, whether we like it or not. And if we get so lucky as to be successful in this world, we cannot forget or erase the memories of our past. Gatsby tried it, and his dream was irrevocably shattered. I want to thank you all for participating in this blog project with me. I always have fun with a forum on which I can let me true thoughts be known with time and space - stuff that I don't always get around to in class. I hope you've been reading, and I hope to see some more posts out of the rest of you. When writing on the final chapter, wrap up with a few thoughts on the nature of this project. What did or didn't you like about it? Any suggestions for the future? Finish strong!!
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I agree after thinking about the ending I do like it also. Even though I thought that the death of Gatsby and even Wilson came quickly (within) the first paragraph of Chatper 9. I would have thought that Fitzgereald would have been more descriptive just because the all story he had been very descriptive in some scenes. Such as how big Gatsbys house was and how it looked when it was all lit up. what I do like about the ending though was how like you said, how it goes back to the green light from the first couple chapters. It made me think of what Gatsby tried to do and how he tried to bring the past back. When it comes to the past I believe that it can not be completly replicated but could be made similarly if you did the correct things.
ReplyDeleteI am agree with everything. I like the final of the book, but it is so sad and i feel bad about Gatsby and Nick, because i feel that they are the only good really people in the book. The part that I didn't like was Gatsby's death, I expected it but I though that he was going to leave with Daisy... But I am proud that he don't because I don't like Daisy at all. She just care about money and social status.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion is a great book. I liked it.
I agree with the fact that no one really knew Gatsby. The closest person to him was probably Nick, and even then there were unanswered questions about his past and his money. I like the reference with the American dream; either it is something we strive for and achieve, or we die trying to get to where we want to go. The green light brought up in both the beginning and the ending of the book symbolized the past, but holding on the past and going for your dream are sometimes two differing things.
ReplyDeleteI find that i am asking a lot of the same questions you are. i wonder why Fitz leaves us with so many questions involving the plot. What is the significance in owl eyes attending the funeral? why does he bring in these little details? does he do it to show the mysteriousness that the book withholds? I like the inclusion of fighting the past here. This seemed like the overall theme and despite what we know I found my self showing sympathy for Gatsby fighting the past for his long lost love.
ReplyDeleteNo one really did know Gatsby. They knew of him but they didn't know him personally. The people who knew him personally knew his mysterious nature. I wonder many of the same things that you wonder about. I felt very sympathetic towards him even though he was obsessive and protective. I really like how you stated about fighting the past.
ReplyDeleteI loved the book. I found the end to be very shocking. With all of the people that Gatsby seemed to know did not come to his funeral. I found this very surprising. Yes many people did not know a lot about him or what they did was just rumors, but i would have thought that more than three people would have come. At the end of the story i had so meny questions that i wanted to know the answer to, but i guess that that is the way the author keeps us thinking about the book even after we have finished.
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