'He was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work or rigid sitting in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.'
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
(edited 10 years ago)
I can't remember the exact quote but there was one in the flashback chapter when Gatsby was Jay Gatz and he sees the dude's yacht and it represented everything he wanted in life or something. Sorry for the inaccuracy haha but I can't be bothered finding it 
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I need help with this question 'In the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America'. anybody got any ideas?
Original post by englishlit
I need help with this question 'In the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America'. anybody got any ideas?
Yes and no. Gatsby's parties are always described very lavishly, and his mansion is very ostentatious etc., with all his money coming from bootlegging and illegal activity (which is where the gangster stuff comes in). On the other hand, does Fitzgerald glamorise it when it ultimately corrupts Gatsby? That's just really brief off the top ideas, hopefully it'll inspire you
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AS English? Just finished my essay on symbolic setting in Gatsby, with The Kite Runner as my partner text
Original post by englishlit
I need help with this question 'In the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald glamorises the figure of the gangster in 1920s America'. anybody got any ideas?
Well, Gatsby has almost certainly acquired his wealth from shady activities such as bootlegging, which makes him a gangster of sorts; there are hints in Nick's conversation with Meyer Wolfshiem, for instance, and in some of what Tom says about Gatsby (although obviously Tom's view of Gatsby is coloured by his preconceptions). But Gatsby's illegal activities all happen 'off stage', so to speak - we see a lot more of the glamorous lifestyle which his wealth has allowed him to access, for instance in his enormous house, his extravagant parties, his car, and his clothes, all of which Fitzgerald describes in great detail. And there's definitely a sense that, however sordid Gatsby's previous history has been, it's somehow not so bad because he wasn't trying to get rich for its own sake; instead, it was all in the service of his great, romantic dream of winning back Daisy. He's so in love with Daisy, or at least with the idea of Daisy, that he is willing to do anything to turn back the clock so that they can be together, and even though ultimately his project fails it's clear that, from Nick's perspective at least, Gatsby's 'extraordinary gift for hope' is itself something to be admired.
You could also talk about the way Gatsby is presented throughout the novel and how this ties in with Nick's unreliability as a narrator. From the beginning there's an aura of mystery that surrounds him, which Nick is intrigued by; even the rumour that he killed a man makes him an object of curiosity rather than fear or revulsion. Then Nick finally gets to meet him and we see that he's young, handsome, and charming (see for example Nick's description of his smile), and even when we and Nick get to know him better and see his flaws he seems much more naive and even absurd than calculating or ruthless. Nick is won over by Gatsby and slightly dazzled by him, and he's very much on Gatsby's side throughout even if he doesn't approve of everything he does. Of course, Gatsby doesn't allow Nick to see more than a glimpse of his business dealings, but more than that I think it's pretty clear that Nick doesn't want to look too closely. Unlike Tom (who actually does try to find out where Gatsby's money comes from in order to discredit him) Nick doesn't see Gatsby as a gangster or a criminal, and his view of Gatsby is the one we get to see.
Basically, I'd say Gatsby is a glamorised version of a 1920s gangster for two main reasons. Firstly, there's the fact that he is a tragic hero, which elevates his status within the narrative and gives the impression that his project is worthy even if it is doomed to fail. In other words, the sheer audacity of Gatsby's belief in the green light makes him first and foremost a man with an impossible dream, and because of that he will always be a romantic figure. Secondly, the gangster side of Gatsby's character is downplayed by Nick because his account is so biased; he likes and admires Gatsby, so he goes out of his way to present him in a positive light because he wants to believe in him. Nick's idealised view of Gatsby can therefore be interpreted as further evidence that Nick is not the honest, neutral observer he thinks he is.
I haven't read The Great Gatsby in two years, but I hope I've given you some ideas to think about; good luck with your essay, and let me know if you want me to clarify anything I've written.
Original post by amyj955
'He was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work or rigid sitting in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.'
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
Original post by JodieW
I can't remember the exact quote but there was one in the flashback chapter when Gatsby was Jay Gatz and he sees the dude's yacht and it represented everything he wanted in life or something. Sorry for the inaccuracy haha but I can't be bothered finding it
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Thanks for the help!
Original post by ria3010
Hi,
Could someone give me some American Dream quotes for Gatsby?
Could someone give me some American Dream quotes for 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 one fine morning——
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
This symbolises a refusal to accept the loss of a Dream - such as the American Dream.
And:
'Thirty – the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair’.
Symbolises the death of the American Dream.
Original post by joostan
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 one fine morning——
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
This symbolises a refusal to accept the loss of a Dream - such as the American Dream.
And:
'Thirty – the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair’.
Symbolises the death of the American Dream.
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
This symbolises a refusal to accept the loss of a Dream - such as the American Dream.
And:
'Thirty – the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair’.
Symbolises the death of the American Dream.
Thank you!
Original post by amyj955
'He was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work or rigid sitting in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.'
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
'And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning– (9.149'
The best one is the green light, because although this really symbolises Daisy, he uses the American dream to gain her. The most American dream thing there is is the belief in self improvement and that's what he did to win back Daisy.
Where is this quote
Original post by Taytuck22
Where is this quote
Right at the end.
Original post by Abstract_Prism
Right at the end.
A specific page?
"The green light"
Green is a warm, pleasant colour with positive connotations. It is also a natural colour; the colour of wide open American planes, grassy fields and a bond between man and nature- this was the original American Dream set down by the original American settlers and cowboys. "Light" can be seen as a beacon that represents 'hope' for Gatsby seeing as he "[reaches]" for it throughout the novel as if it were something tangible he wished to attain- something that, to him, represented Daisy and his own personal 'American Dream'.
Green is a warm, pleasant colour with positive connotations. It is also a natural colour; the colour of wide open American planes, grassy fields and a bond between man and nature- this was the original American Dream set down by the original American settlers and cowboys. "Light" can be seen as a beacon that represents 'hope' for Gatsby seeing as he "[reaches]" for it throughout the novel as if it were something tangible he wished to attain- something that, to him, represented Daisy and his own personal 'American Dream'.
(edited 8 years ago)
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
“I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.”
“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.”
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
“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 eternal 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.”
“I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.”
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”
“You see I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad things that happened to me.”
“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.”
“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!”
“They’re a rotten crowd’, I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”
I took some inspiration from this blog
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”
“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.”
“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. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people.”
“All I kept thinking about, over and over, was 'You can't live forever; you can't live forever.”
“So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.”
“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”
“I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others--young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.”
“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
“It takes two to make an accident.”
“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
“If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him”
“Ah," she cried, "you look so cool." Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table. You always look so cool," she repeated. She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw.”
“Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”
“I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.”
“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.”
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
“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 eternal 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.”
“I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.”
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”
“You see I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad things that happened to me.”
“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.”
“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!”
“They’re a rotten crowd’, I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”
I took some inspiration from this blog
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”
“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.”
“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. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people.”
“All I kept thinking about, over and over, was 'You can't live forever; you can't live forever.”
“So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.”
“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”
“I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others--young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.”
“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
“It takes two to make an accident.”
“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. 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 to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
“If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him”
“Ah," she cried, "you look so cool." Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table. You always look so cool," she repeated. She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw.”
“Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”
180 in the new book.
Yes , I need a quote on from the great Gatsby on how to american Dream is attainable and unattainable.
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