Well, that was depressing. And beautiful.
The Great Gatsby is a bleak yet poetic depiction of the destruction of the American dream, even of the individual dreams that manifest themselves in all of us. Throughout the second half of the book, the plot has thickened, characters have blossomed, and symbolism has flourished.
As Nick narrates with cool detachment, the other characters in The Great Gatsby become more lively and life-like in Chapters six through nine. Daisy is revealed as the hollow body full of clinking coins that she is, and Tom's heavy grip on her future becomes evident. Jordan is almost as mellow as Nick, which would seem to be the recipe for a perfect match. Gatsby, of course, is exposed in all of his glory and desperation as a man with a single purpose and lofty self-actualization. We see him tumble down the pedestal he built for himself as he realizes that the Daisy he created in his mind and the Daisy on the other side of the green light are two different people. The one he loves does not exist. Even though Nick seems distant, he realizes how fast life is passing him by and how little he has to show for it. Overall, the second half of the book provides an opportunity for the characters to accept their circumstances and "beat on" in drudgery.
This brings me to the plot. Although it was not the most enjoyable aspect of the book, Chapters 6-9 raise the adrenaline, envy, and hysteria of the entire work. Relationships are tested and defeated; tragedy strikes in more ways than one. Fitzgerald weaves together the stray ends of the first half of the book. Even after the climactic Chapter Seven, I was still left guessing as to how problems would be resolved. I was surprised. Just as events have appeared to settle down, Jay Gatsby is shot as he floats aimlessly in his pool with the stark realization that he will always live in a castle for one.
The symbolism in the latter portion of The Great Gatsby is a gift to the poor soul who just wants to finish her English assignment and maybe eke some enjoyment out of it (that's me). Fitzgerald's words are spellbinding. The green light comes back in these last few chapters, particularly on the very last page of the book. The symbol shifts from one of desire and ambition to one of unattainable satisfaction. In truth, we are all parallel with Gatsby, reaching towards a goal that will inevitably float away ("Wilson" in Castaway, anyone?). The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg return as well, depicting an absent god who sees but does not interfere. This made me think: if God is only eyes, then why do we fear Him? If He is nothing more than a cosmic security camera, then why do we worship Him? (Fortunately, I like to think that God is not only eyes, but an entire Being: a spirit that emanates love and grace. I guess that's not central to the theme of the book, though.) Overall, the symbolism in these chapters depicts the distant goals and god that evaded Gatsby's characters.
I was told that everyone dies in the end of this book. The funny thing is, only two do, and those who deserve to die skip off to Chicago with their materialistic wives. However, everyone spiritually dies as the book ends. Daisy and Tom tuck themselves into a proverbial coffin and rot in monotony almost every night. Nick's aspirations of achieving something slowly wither as he turns thirty. Gatsby dies far before he is shot: he dies as his expectations of Daisy wilt before his eyes. So here is the point of the book: life sucks, and then we die. And sometimes, we wake up the next morning and do it all over again.
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