Paragraph Analysis--The Green Light

'If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay,' said Gatsby. 'You always have a green light that burns all night at the end your dock'. (Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, page 90)

The significance of the green light at the end of Daisy's dock in this book is because it can eaisly be related to Gatsby's emotions toward Daisy. When the colour green is mentioned, most people usually associate it with jelousy and money. In the book, Gatsby is infatuated with Daisy, and has been for a very long time. Daisy did not stay with him because he did not have money like her family did. This broke Gatsby's heart.

When you read about Gatsby looking out at green light at the end of her dock, you realise that the green light symbolizes Gatsby's jelousy of Tom, because he cannot be with Daisy. You also see that it represents money. Gastby now being rich, hopes that he can get back with Daisy. At the same time, Fitzgerald hints that it is almost unattainable for Gatsby, because of how far he describes the light is away.
'Possibly it had occured to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one'(Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, page 90)

In conclusion, the green light is significant because it symbolizes Gatsby's jealousy towards Tom, and his need for money, in hopes of being with Daisy once again

“The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.”
(F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Pg 104 second paragraph)

Gatsby’s parents were unsuccessful, with that their dreams were ruined. His imagination had never really accepted them as his parents. He possessed a "platonic" conception of himself. He was a son of God. Gatsby plainly imagined himself a Christ, born of earthly parents but actually a son of God. From there Fitzgerald reveals and describes Gatsby’s past. From a Platonic conception of himself, Gatsby conforms to an ideal of himself that transforms reality into possibility (Fitzgerald Pg 104). He wanted Daisy to tell Tom that she never truly loved him. But in reality she couldn’t agree to that. He always kept that possibility open, it was what he lived for. After meeting Dan Cody he became devoted to wealth and luxury. He left his past like a train headed to single destination; that was Daisy. Along the way he would run into troubles, society took its toll on him. People were convinced that he was involved in bootlegging some even believed that he had killed a man. His platonic conception made him seem as though he was living the life, but truly his only happiness would come from getting Daisy back. Once again like a train he had an ultimate crash. Tom was in his tracks he accused Gatsby of killing Myrtle and led him to his death. He would truly keep his conception to the end.

Passage Analysis -The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald 6)

“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope… And, after boasting this way of my tolerance, I come to the admission that it has a limit. Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes but after a certain point I don’t care what it’s founded on. When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart. Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction ─ Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.” (Fitzgerald 6)

Nick is giving the reader an explanation of his standards and beliefs. He comes from Old Money and stays true to what his family taught him. The avoidance of judging others caused him to go further in life and keep an open mind.
Juxtaposition of imagery is evident when he states that he does not care what conduct is founded on. It is because he does not care that he uses two opposite examples of imagery for describing a foundation; hard rock or wet marshes.
It is interesting that Nick references Gatsby’s name to be one contributing to the story in the book. A connection is created early on between the reader and narrator. Nick is talking to us in a personal way, as if he were speaking to us face-to-face, excluding the normal rules of writing. The first thing we know about Gatsby is in relation to Nick’s values. Nick said, “Gatsby…represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn.” (6) We know the things he represented based on the information Nick has already shared about himself.
The diction throughout The Great Gatsby often stands out as being from the 1920’s. Nick says, “there was something gorgeous about him.” (6) A few times in the novel, the men are described with what our society would decipher as more feminine terms. Another example of this is when we are introduced to a couple later on. The husband is described as feminine and the wife referred to as handsome. Years ago this was more common and less out-of-place.

Passage Analysis - Ana

“It amazed him – he had never been in such a beautiful house before. But what gave it an air of breathless intensity was that Daisy lived there – it was a casual thing to her as his tent out at camp was to him. There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities taking place through its corridors and of romances that were not musty and laid away already in lavender but fresh and breathing and redolent of this year’s shining motor cars and of dances whose flowers were scarcely withered.” (Fitzgerald 155).

This is when Nick is referring to Gatsby’s first visit to Daisy’s house.

Fitzgerald uses imagery effectively so that the reader can picture the house through Gatsby’s eyes. By Gatsby’s tone and impressionistic description, it is evident that he is very amazed with Daisy’s house. He uses words such as “beautiful,” “breathless,” “radiant” and flowers that were “scarcely withered,” to describe Daisy’s house. Gatsby’s intense detail and amazement to her house could perhaps be the underlying inspiration for his extravagant house. His house is also described by Nick as being “colossal,” (Fitzgerald 8), and references many luxuries in his house such as a citrus fruit extracting machine.

This passage also contrasts Gatsby’s and Daisy’s status at that time. Gatsby mentions that Daisy’s house to Daisy was as casual as Gatsby’s tent to him. Daisy lives in a large beautiful house yet she is used to it and does not find it amazing, whereas Gatsby, who is used to poor and simple houses, is bewildered by her house.

It seems as though Gatsby is more amazed and infatuated with Daisy’s wealth and status, than Daisy herself. Throughout the novel, there has not been much reference to Gatsby’s love for Daisy’s personality or looks. Most of the time Gatsby relates Daisy to her status or wealth, for example, he states that “her voice is full of money,” (Fitzgerald 127) or when he says that he was overwhelming aware of “Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor,” (Fitzgerald 157).

Passage Analysis

“I suppose he’d had the name ready for a long time, even then. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people- his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God- a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that- and he must be about His Father’s Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.”
(Fitzgerald 104)

This passage is when Gatsby’s past is revealed and who he was when he was younger is shown. This passage shows why Gatsby is so obsessed of showing his money around by having extravagant parties, and by having a car that everybody will notice, and by continually trying to show Daisy his wealth. Gatsby’s parents were poor but Gatsby’s personality, ambitious, would never let him be poor, so to get away from that lack of wealth Gatsby created a new persona of himself. That new persona was a fresh start for Gatsby; he had no past now so now he could be anything he wanted. This new persona reflected Gatsby’s personality and who he wanted to be not who his parents were. This new persona was what helped Gatsby get started towards his wealth because this new persona got Gatsby to go work for Dan Cody and in return Gatsby had inherited some money from Cody which got him started towards his fortune. This new persona didn’t mean that Gatsby didn’t love his parents because Gatsby had actually bought his Father his new house. It only means that he didn’t love that they were poor and that if he kept their name he would also be poor. Also this new name that Gatsby created could also arouse lots of suspicions from other characters because Gatsby is already thought to be a bootlegger and criminal and now that we find out that he had changed his name this could mean that he all those rumours are true and he is trying to keep his true identity safe.

The Brute

“Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty, with a rather hard mouth and supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even then effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body-he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscles shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. It was a body capable of enormous leverage- a cruel body.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, pg. 12)


This passage allows the read to have an insight on to Tom Buchanan’s character. You can see that Tom is not the kindest person as soon as a description is given. His arrogant eyes are proof that he leans more to dare a person to judge him then to allow them to make any attempts to make an assumption of who he is. This allows the reader to understand certain things that he does right as they happen, but it also allows some shock when he does thing that are not considered ‘aggressive’ or ‘cruel’.

You also get the image that he is a very manly man, as the “effeminate swank” of his clothing does nothing to hide the power of his body. The image of power that is used through contrast gives the sense that he is also a completely selfish man, or possible one that uses all he has at his disposal to get his way. You are even given the line “a cruel body” to give emphasis to the fact that Tom Buchanan is not a good person; he is a cruel, aggressive and arrogant man.

This contrast lets the reader relate more to Tom. He is a human with human emotions, and is not a simplistic, cruel, and aggressive automaton. You also see that Tom could be called a bully by his physical appearance alone, then add his “gruff husky tenor” (pg.12) and a “touch of paternal contempt” (pg.12) you see an even more bully like person. His actions also show this as he strikes Myrtle and breaks her nose simple for saying Daisy’s name.

Passage Analysis

‘Either you ought to be more careful, or you oughtn’t to drive at all.’
‘I am careful.’
‘No, you’re not.’
‘Well, other people are,’ she said lightly.
‘What’s that got to do with it?’
‘They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident.’
(Fitzgerald 59)

This is a short dialogue between Nick and Jordan Baker, after Jordan drove “so close to some workmen that [her] fender flicked a button on one man’s coat” (59). It gives insight into the personalities of both Jordan and Nick, and also serves to foreshadow Gatsby’s fate in two different ways.
Despite Nick’s statements that he is ‘inclined to reserve all judgements’ (7), he is quick to condemn Jordan as careless in this passage. It is very true that she behaved carelessly once, but that may not reflect her personality. Even careful people make mistakes.
Jordan, however, admits that Nick is right. Not state is that her driving is a metaphor for her attitude towards life: again, careless. This reflects all of the East Eggers, such as Tom and Daisy, who are repeatedly states as being careless. However, Jordan’s statement that others will keep out of her way seems to be a joke. The importance of this is that her joke is an admission of her carelessness: “I know I am careless, but I also know that, because I am rich, I have a metaphorical safety net to protect me from the consequences of my own actions. Therefore, I can and will continue to be careless.” In other words, Jordan is shallow and careless as a result of a conscious choice.
Daisy, of course, is the metaphorical and the actual careless driver who causes an accident. Metaphorically because she is far worse than Jordan, and Gatsby is blinded by his infatuation, enough to make him careless; an accident results. The fact that Gatsby’s death was indirectly caused by Daisy’s actual bad driving is both ironic and funny in a pathetic way.

Gatsby Passage

"He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. Precisely at that point it vanished - and I was looking at an elegant young rough-neck, a year or two over thirty, whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself I'd got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care." (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 3, pages 52-53)


This passage, from chapter 3, is when Nick meets Gatsby for the first time. Nick is at Gatsby’s party with Jordan Baker and he strikes up a conversation with a man that he has no clue is Gatsby. This passage is Nick’s first impression of Gatsby. I think this passage sums up Gatsby’s overall character – or his fake personality. This gives you the impression that Gatsby is very charming and one of a kind but there’s something behind him or he is hiding something. Nick explains that Gatsby has a smile that you may only come across four of five times in life, which is a pretty significant quality for a person to have. But as we read on through the book, is this a fake smile that has been practised to the point of perfection? I think that we all realize that this is just a show Gatsby is putting on to eventually impress Daisy. This passage is important because at the end, Nick foreshadows that Gatsby picks his words – and essentially everything else – with care.

Paragraph analysis.

“You’re crazy!” he exploded. “I can’t speak about what happened five years ago, because I didn’t know Daisy then—and I’ll be damned if I see how you got within a mile of her unless you brought the groceries to the back door. But all the rest of that’s a God damned lie. Daisy loved me when she married me and she loves me now.” (Fitzgerald, 138)Previously in the book it is discovered that Tom had relationships with women other then Daisy during their marriage. Daisy had knowledge of this but Tom had recently discovered his wife’s relationship with Gatsby. Tom erupts in a rage of emotions when Gatsby confronts him about his relationship with his wife. Tom is outraged even though he himself was in a relationship with Myrtle.This is a key chapter in which Tom’s true personality is shown through his actions.Tom has the personality trait of neuroticism. Tom is emotionally unstable and is easily angered or stressed, is emotionally vulnerable and emotionally reactive.Tom only exhibits self interest and self concern. Tom consistently puts his own needs above the needs and desires of others and has an exaggerated sense of self importance. “You two start on home, Daisy” said Tom “in Mr. Gatsby’s car.” (Fitzgerald, 142) The spoken word of Tom above further to show his ego, and how little he cares about his wife and how she feels. Tom only shows how important it is to him to flex his strength and invulnerability by letting Gatsby and his wife drive home together. The author specifically made Tom this way; as a way to describe the thoughts and personalities of those who grew up with the fundamental thoughts that they were destined to be better; that wealth is distributed unevenly, and that one could be born into a superior family. This superiority complex provokes people like Tom to think they are above the normal morals of society enabling them act in selfish and egotistic ways. Like Tom cheating on his wife and then being offended because Daisy did the same.

Passage Analysis; Nicole

Chapter 7
Page 137, paragraphs 6- 13

“I’ve got something to tell you, old sport——” began Gatsby. But Daisy guessed at his intention.
“Please don’t!” she interrupted helplessly. “Please let’s all go home. Why don’t we all go home?”
“That’s a good idea.” I got up. “Come on, Tom. Nobody wants a drink.”
“I want to know what Mr. Gatsby has to tell me.”
“Your wife doesn’t love you,” said Gatsby quietly. “She’s never loved you. She loves me.”
“You must be crazy!” exclaimed Tom automatically.
Gatsby sprang to his feet, vivid with excitement.
“She never loved you, do you hear?” he cried. “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!”


Throughout the book Gatsby attempts to create a sophisticated, mature image of himself. Hosting social gatherings and involving himself with important business connections in other cities presents the idea that he is a well-known, highly valued individual. This interaction that Gatsby has with Tom in the Plaza Hotel shows a side of Gatsby that the rest of the book attempts to hide. He reacts impulsively and with no intention of appearing classy or put-together.

The fight to win Daisy’s love and attention consumes Gatsby, as the reader learns that he has never stopped loving her in the five years he’s been away from her. When this opportunity finally comes that he may be able to push her over the fence towards the idea of leaving Tom, he upsets everyone in the room with his hasty reaction.

Tom was already suspicious of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship; so the shock from Gatsby’s response was automatic and defensive. Gatsby’s change in character here is also evident in his response to Tom calling him crazy. Gatsby changes from a quiet response to a loud, excited response. He springs up and reacts harshly; telling Tom that Daisy has never loved anyone but him.

This is one of the strongest points in the book where it becomes clear that Gatsby’s image is deteriorating. His home and parties have already begun to fall through in his confidence that Daisy will leave Tom to be with him; and now his personality is collapsing as well. This passage is significant due to being the first time his group of friends can really confirm that something is going on with him, and that he doesn’t care what anyone other than Daisy thinks of him. His actions are based on his emotional attachment to Daisy.

Gatsby and Daisy - Akram

“He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes. Sometimes, too, he stared around at his possessions in a dazed way, as though in her actual and astounding presence none of it was any longer real. Once he nearly toppled down a flight of stairs.” Pg. 96.

This passage was chosen from Chapter V, from the book The Great Gatsby, which is written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This passage was chosen for its significant portrayal of the major theme that is presented throughout the entire novel. It is also chosen for identifying and relating characters together.

This passage identifies and presents one of the major themes in a positive atmosphere by bringing Daisy and Gatsby together for the first time since they lost connection. The major theme presented is the power and influence of money on people. It is clearly shown that Gatsby is overwhelmed by his own wealth when he presents all of his wealth to Daisy. Gatsby is so overwhelmed, he “nearly topple(s) down a flight of stairs.” This theme is identified as a major theme because it is brought up again later on in the book, but in a more negative form. The negative form of the theme is presented when Tom is actually able to hide behind his money and influence for the actions that he has committed by just skipping town, and showing no remorse in the process. It is also always lurking in the background because it is the stepping stone to Gatsby’s life and relationship with Daisy.

This passage has an underlying purpose presented by Fitzgerald. This passage presents Gatsby in his true form; as a human being that was poor, and only achieved all this wealth for a single selfish purpose. He achieved all of this to show it to another human being who did not acknowledge him, because of his lack of wealth previously. It also shows how madly in love he was with the idea of Daisy, because he showed his true emotions for the first time in chapter V (which this passage is extracted from). This opened up a new perspective of Gatsby, by showing him as a human who is able to express emotions similar to everybody else. This also accelerates the plot by allowing Gatsby and Daisy to reconnect emotionally, which allows for a new perspective of Daisy as well.

The Green Light

“You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.” (Fitzgerald 98)

The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a significant symbol in The Great Gatsby and is mentioned numerous times throughout the novel. The colour green, we can associate with many things. Some of the more positive associations are: spring, life, and the words “Go”, are the first that come into people’s minds. A darker association is the colour of money - green American dollars. Money is everything for Gatsby, it puts him food on the table, a roof over his head, friends to avoid loneliness, and even a false sense of confidence that money gives him.

The green light for Gatsby is the physical distance that separates him and Daisy. Reaching the green light would mean having Daisy, so in perspective, it is Gatsby’s primary goal, his dream. The green light is visible through his own bedroom window, which reminds him everyday how close he is to having her.

Once Daisy is in his house, with him, Gatsby realizes that the symbol has now vanished. It is only a green light at the end of a dock “…the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 98).

Passage Analysis

“He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass. A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about…” (Fitzgerald Pg.169)

In this passage, Gatsby is describing the weather moments before his death. The weather the day before the day he dies is sunny and beautiful. It seems like Gatsby can sense that he is going to die. It is his last premonition before he actually dies. It sets up his death to the reader, giving the reader a sense that something devastating is going to happen. Fitzgerald uses great literary devices like diction, personification and imagery to add a great effect to the passage. Diction like “grotesque”, “fortuitously”, “frightening” and “scarcely” all portray the image that Gatsby is trying to show the reader. He also uses personification to personify the leaves and ghosts to add to the imagery Fitzgerald wants to portray. It foreshadows what is going to happen when the page is turned, witch is his death. It sends a weary feeling to the readers, like something is out of place. It sets up his death perfectly. It also sets up the theme witch is death in these last two pages. Fitzgerald uses this passage to shift the theme from cheery to death.

Passage Analysis - Chris

"'I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night,' went on Jordan, 'but she never did. Then he began asking people casually if they knew her, and I was the first one he found. It was that night he sent for me at his dance, and you should have heard the elaborate way he worked up to it. Of course, I immediately suggested a luncheon in New York—and I thought he’d go mad..."(Fitzgerald 84)

Chasing the American Dream is to anticipate a life filled with everything you want. It is to expect what you want to exist. The American Dream and the pursuit of happiness are major themes in The Great Gatsby and this passage is no different. After informing Nick of Gatsby’s past with Daisy, Jordan describes a plan formulated by Gatsby to meet with Daisy: his golden girl, his ultimate dream. This passage is important as it shows the lengths at which people chasing their dreams will go. Gatsby sees the fact that Daisy is, albeit unhappily, married as an obstacle more than a barrier and Fitzgerald essentially uses Gatsby as a puppet to act out the absurdity of chasing the American dream.

At this point of the book, not much is known about Gatsby aside from his extravagant parties that are open to the public. The story surrounding this exchange of dialogue leads the reader to characterize Gatsby as a bit of a fool, determined to achieve his ultimate state of happiness - to fulfill his idea of the American Dream. Ultimately, this connects to another motif of the book: emotions driving our actions. The passage ends with “…and I thought he’d go mad…” in reference to Gatsby’s reaction to Jordan’s proposal. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s reaction to express an opinion that to love is to be perfect and anything that falls short will ruin the opportunity.

Gatsby has chased his dream from Lake Michigan, to Chicago, to Europe, and all the way back to New York because of how his emotions fuel his actions. As Fitzgerald has the book end, Gatsby gave up his life to chase a dream.

Passage Analysis - Eddie

About five o’clock our procession of three cars reached the cemetery and stopped in a thick drizzle beside the gate—first a motor hearse, horribly black and wet, then Mr. Gatz and the minister and I in the limousine, and a little later four or five servants and the postman from West Egg in Gatsby’s station wagon, all wet to the skin. As we started through the gate into the cemetery I heard a car stop and then the sound of someone splashing after us over the soggy ground. I looked around. It was the man with owl-eyed glasses whom I had found marvelling over Gatsby’s books in the library one night three months before.
I’d never seen him since then. I don’t know how he knew about the funeral, or even his name. The rain poured down his thick glasses, and he took them off and wiped them to see the protecting canvas unrolled from Gatsby’s grave. (Fitzgerald 182-183)

In this passage, Fitzgerald creates an atmosphere of mourning in the wake of Gatsby’s death, while also employing his motif of the eyes of God. This portion of the novel, The Great Gatsby, is essential to building Gatsby’s character as a mortal human, rather than an idealized figure.

In order to build the depressing imagery of this passage, Fitzgerald uses recurring references to wetness. He begins by using pathetic fallacy, as the scene takes place in a “thick drizzle” (Fitzgerald 182). This image is furthered by the “horribly black and wet” motor hearse and the all the characters in the passage being soaked “wet to the skin” (Fitzgerald 182). Additionally, Fitzgerald reinforces this visual imagery by using sound imagery; he uses alliteration, stating that Nick “heard a car stop and then the sound of someone splashing after us over the soggy ground” (Fitzgerald 182). It is clear that Fitzgerald is using water to symbolize emotion; even Owl Eyes has rain “pour[ing] down his glasses,” thus clouding his vision (Fitzgerald 183).

The appearance of Owl Eyes in this chapter is used by Fitzgerald to further his theme of an omnipresent, watching God. Similar to the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, the man with the owl-eyed glasses represents a mysterious overseer. Fitzgerald uses Owl Eyes to assert that Gatsby cannot escape the eyes of God, even in death. Yet, Owl Eyes needs to take off his glasses and “[wipe] them to see... Gatsby” (Fitzgerald 183). Through this action, Fitzgerald is stating that even God is mourning for the loss of Gatsby.

Overall, the purpose of this passage is to build Gatsby’s character by showing the reader that he is a human, rather than an idol. Fitzgerald uses this passage to show a pitiful side of Gatsby, as his glamorous days are over.

Significant Passage, Chapter Nine

"I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively and without hesitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them." (Fitzgerald, 172)

This passage is significant because it shows that Daisy does not truly love Gatsby. She left with Tom without even telling anyone. If she did truly love him, she would be devastated when she found out that Gatsby died, or at least she would go to his funeral to pay her respect. But she just left with Tom without even regretting it. It makes Daisy look like she was actually in love with Gatsby's wealth more than she was in love with the actual person. When Jordan was telling Nick the story of Daisy in chapter four and describing the officer beside Daisy in the car one day, which Nick finds out after was Gatsby later in the book, Gatsby was looking at Daisy lovingly, but Daisy was not doing the same to him. It seems like she just likes all the attention, while Gatsby was truly and deeply in love with her. Also, this shows that Daisy is trying to hide the fact that she and Gatsby had something going on between them. This also kind of reflects Fitzgerald's love life with Zelda because Zelda did cheat on Fitzgerald like how Daisy cheated on Tom. Also, Fitzgerald cheated on Zelda when Zelda was in the hospital which is kind of like Tom cheating on Daisy with Myrtle. It seems like Fitzgerald was writing the book from his own experience from beginning to end. Also, when Daisy didn't marry Gatsby because he was poor, it reflects Fitzgerald's life and how Zelda didn't marry Fitzgerald until he was famous and rich.

A Tragic/Ironic Ending

“No telephone message arrived but the butler went without
his sleep and waited for it until four o’clock—until long
after there was any one to give it to if it came. I have an idea
that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come and perhaps
he no longer cared. If that was true he must have felt
that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for
living too long with a single dream..” Fitzgerald 169

This passage is Nick’s perception on Gatsby, just before his death. Gatsby is alone, floating on a bed in his pool, waiting for Nick to show up. It is also just before Wilson kills him. Gatsby is reflecting on his life and realizing that he had been wasting it, chasing after one dream.

This passage is important because it portrays a major theme in this book, which is people who live their lives with a distortion of what is really important in it. Gatsby lives his entire life with Daisy as the most important thing in his life. He cuts himself off from his family and never spends anytime making any true friends. This is why only 3 people showed up to his funeral even though he seemed popular when he was alive, because he threw large parties.

It can also be seen that Gatsby is going through a major character change during this time. He is beginning to see the whole world as something new and realize what is important in life. This makes for an ironic and tragic ending because he is murdered just after this.

When Fitzgerald uses the word warm to describe Gatsby’s new view on the world it helps the reader to understand where he is coming from. This is because this word is generally associated with feelings of love joy and happiness.

Significant Passage- The Great Gatsby

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (Fitzgerald 189)

This quote is one of the most well known quotes of all time because it is one of the greatest. This is the last line of the book and at this point Nick is reminiscing on Gatsby’s life and his own life. Fitzgerald uses this quote to sum up Jay Gatsby’s journey throughout the book. Gatsby spends a great deal of time trying to maintain his past, so he tries to ‘beat on’ and live his life to the fullest even though he is a ‘boat against the current’ because his past is all but gone. Gatsby’s past involved Daisy, so he tried to rekindle a past relationship. Gatsby tries to ‘beat on’ and show Daisy that he is rich and he wants to win her back by showing her this new wealth he has acquired over the years. Gatsby thinks that Daisy loves her throughout much of the book, but he is only being borne back ceaselessly into the past as Daisy doesn’t actually love Gatsby, she is just sticking with him for his wealth. This is similar to Gatsby’s past as Daisy left Gatsby saying that rich girls do not marry poor boys, and Gatsby is now a rich boy, but is not receiving true love from Daisy. Due to this, Gatsby is beating on against the current, and is recreating his past instead of creating his future. This really speaks to one of the main themes of the book which is appearance vs. reality. Daisy appears to want to rekindle her relationship with Gatsby but is only out for his wealth. Gatsby appears to be creating his future but is really just recreating his past.

Passage Analysis

“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams-not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything.” (Fitzgerald 101)

This passage takes place shortly after Gatsby and Daisy are reunited for the first time in five years. Near the end of the night, Gatsby shows an expression on his face that causes Nick to believe that he had made Daisy out to be better than she actually was. When Gatsby met Daisy, back in Louisville, he fell for her, hard. During the five years they were apart, Gatsby spent every waking moment thinking about her, planning parties for her, in hopes of her arriving, and dreaming that they will someday be together. So much of Gatsby’s time and effort was consumed with thoughts of Daisy. He put her up on such a high pedestal that, although she was beautiful, wealthy, and had social class, she would never really be able to compare.

Passage analysis - Jenny

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . .
I shook hands with him; it seemed silly not to, for I felt suddenly as though I were talking to a child. Then he went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace—or perhaps only a pair of cuff buttons—rid of my provincial squeamishness forever.” (Chapter 9, page 187)

This passage is after Gatsby’s death and his funeral; Nick is talking to Tom two months later. He is discovering how rich people, like Daisy and Tom, act and how careless they can be. He also notices that they only care for themselves and they can hurt many people to keep themselves safe or happy. Throughout the book, Nick realizes little things that lead up to this passage. Something that helps him realize this is when Daisy kills Myrtle in a car accident and he lets Gatsby takes the blame. Tom tells Wilson that it is Gatsby’s car, not telling him that Gatsby is not driving. Tom believes that he did the right thing and did not lie. He also believes that Gatsby is not a good man and he deserves to be dead. This is a careless act and is childish play. Towards the end of this passage, Nick believes he should mention that Tom is going to the jewelry store to buy something expensive for himself or Daisy. He mentions this to prove that summer did not faze Tom and he already moves on. The passage literally explains the theme of the book as a whole. It is about the rich people and what they do to keep themselves satisfied and how they will do it. Another big theme that is shown in this passage is their money. Rich people and their mind set is somewhat skewed and it does not matter to them whether they harm people as long as they have their money and they can depend on it.

“They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted, across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together” (Fitzgerald 162)

This is where Nick first expresses to Gatsby how he feels about him, which is the perfect moment seeing as Gatsby didn’t live for much longer. Even though Nick disapproves of him all along, he is still able to put his thoughts aside and give a compliment that Gatsby would never forget. This passage is very important to the novel because Nick never tells the other characters what he thinks about them, the readers are the only ones that get a chance to see what Nick is thinking. The significance in this passage is that Nick starts to develop as a character, finally expressing his thoughts to the others, even if he wasn’t Gatsby’s biggest fan. Perhaps the reason that Nick never criticized the other characters face to face was due to his fathers influence. Earlier in the novel, Nick shares a quote from his father. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you have had.” (Fitzgerald 5). This could have affected Nick and his actions, which is why he never expressed his thoughts openly. So when Nick did finally compliment Gatsby, and Gatsby replied with an understanding smile, Nick felt content with his decision to say what he said. Even though Nick constantly shows the readers that he does not approve of Gatsby, he never regrets telling Gatsby how he felt about him.

Significant Passage - Great Gatsby

"He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher—shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue. Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. “They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before.” (Fitzgerald 97-98)

This is the point where Daisy and Gatsby finally meet and Gatsby takes Daisy into his house to show her how wealthy he is now. He shows her his wealth because be believes they could be together now because, “rich girls don’t marry poor boys” and now he is no longer poor. This passage shows Daisy crying about the beauty of his wealth as well as displaying her materialism.
Seeing the immense display of wealth, displayed by his European shirts, she begins to cry. This part of the novel demonstrates her superficiality and shallowness and also shows the superficiality and materialism of the time. This quote portrays one of the significant and major themes in the novel, wealth vs. power. Gatsby knows that wealth will win Daisy back, and in that time wealth gets power. Knowing this, Gatsby goes to the extremes to become wealthy which in the future gives him power as well. This quote plays a significant role in the novel because it establishes that wealth does give power since Gatsby does win Daisy with his wealth.

Are you worth it?

"You're worth the whole damn bunch put together" (page 162).This passage gives great insight into different aspects of the book. It gives you a look into Nick's character, it shows how he sees other characters in the book. How he finds that Gatsby, being a "gorgeous" person, is a better person than every other character in the book. It also shows how the different levels of social status act in day to day life. The fact that this nouveau riche man is the only person being persecuted, and that none of the old money families are being punished for the immoral and just down right bad behavior, is an insight to modern day status quo. The rich get richer and keep their cushy life, while the working man does his time and gets nothing. The rich can push around those in less fortunate positions, knowing that their wealth can shield them from the consequences. This passage is also important because it is the only compliment that Nick ever gives Gatsby. Even though his character is such a formal, generous being, other characters always find themselves thanking him. Nick swears as he gives this compliment, which also has a variety of meanings. It could show that he has a dislike for the old money characters, using offensive language when describing them. It could also mean that he is uncomfortable complimenting Gatsby, using the offensive language to make himself seem masculine. Even though he is sharing his feelings on the situation it still comes out in a way that makes him seem confident. It could also have been said just to try and cheer Gatsby up. No matter the way it is analyzed, it is obvious that this passage looks into some important aspects of the books inner workings. So when life gets you down, and you feel like you just cannot go on, remember, you're worth the whole damn bunch put together.

Resources for planning your Gatsby Essay

Webbing Tool
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/readwritethink-webbing-tool-30038.html


Essay Mapping
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/essay-30063.html


Literary Essay Outline
http://www.csd509j.net/cvhs/sherwin/Honors%20Humanities%2011/Literary%20Essay.htm

Transitions
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/

Please choose a significant passage from The Great Gatsby. Create a "new post" and copy the passage (use parenthetical referencing) at the top of your post. Provide a detailed literary analysis of the quotation using formal voice. When you are finished, read some of the other posts and comment on at least one.