The Great Gatsby essay

Describe and analyze the significance of the last line of The Great Gatsby.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Money can’t buy you everything. Gatsby sort of comes to the realization that the only cure to his emptiness was to merely impress the likes of Daisy. One see’s that this passage is quite explanatory to the reader. Despite Gatsby’s hardships, Nick guides us through the story with Gatsby’s main priority of winning Daisy back and his motivation behind his acquisition of his enormous wealth from criminal activity. Gatsby’s dream shatters at the hands of Wilson as he shoots Gatsby, instantly killing him in the pool and then shoots himself. His dream fails to become a reality judging from past events with Tom Buchanan. Nick, the narrator of the story feels so disgusted with the people associated in the Great Gatsby, except for Gatsby, he realizes that the dream that Gatsby wants was corrupted by dishonesty. Gatsby’s death begins to festers Nick to point where he moves back to the Midwest to get away from it all. With the metaphorical words used in the passage, we come to the realization that people find it difficult to achieve their dream of success. The green light in the beginning of the passage is a light of guidance for Gatsby who is one of those people.

This very last line of the passage states,” Gatsby believed in the green light”, the “green light” is the light that is describe as barely visible from Gatsby’s west egg gothic mansion. The “green light” to Gatsby is sort of like his guidance; luring him to his goal. The phrase the “green light” has a significant connotation in the story; it provides Gatsby with hope and dreams of the future. He sees a relationship with Daisy that is destine to be. The green light is almost like a symbol for him. The green light has been mentioned quite a few times through the novel, in chapter 1 and chapter 9. In chapter one when the story commences, Gatsby isolated by the inevitable darkness, finds himself reaching out towards the light. Daisy’s mansion is situated on the East Egg where the green light is radiant. The green light sort of powers his motivation. He pushes the limit with spending a ridiculous amount of money on his elaborate parties that he celebrates every weekend. It’s quite obvious to the reader that he is trying to be the mysterious host of the parties, trying so diligently to win Daisy’s heart back.

“tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms father…” In the pursuit of accomplishing his goal, we will never give up the goal that stretches forever forward. This specific sentence connects with Gatsby’s struggle of obtaining the American dream. Nick respects the melancholy in Gatsby that he learns from his study of Gatsby’s life. It means that there is always time to try harder. Gatsby’s reveals to Nick that he and Daisy actually were in love. He wants to fulfill his dream of obtaining Daisy’s love. Gatsby’s is empty inside. His wealth cannot refurbish his happiness. Nick is Gatsby’s confidant, a good friend of his. Through nick narration of the story he sees Daisy married to Tom Buchanan. The last part of this quotation from the last page of the book, let us know that in hard times, like Gatsby, we can run faster and stretch out our arms father.

In conclusion, we understand that the significant of the last line because it leaves the read with some optimism. Gatsby, despite his hardships with Tom Buchanan, never got a chance to share his life with her. Daisy, in my opinion, I feel that he is a self-absorb person. It was confusing for us to understand if she really had love for Gatsby or not. Was she with Tom Buchanan just for the finance backup and the enormous house on long Island? Competition sparked up, when Tom and Gatsby began to fight over Daisy. Nick must feel awkward in these situations with the love triangle in the story. I can understand why the last line is so significant because Nick is trying to convey a message to the reader; that it might be impossible to make your goal a reality, but restore that energy within and don’t.