The Great Gatsby - Close Reading

 Fitzgerald gives closure to the novel with the following quote:

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. (189)

The first sentence explains the green light metaphor, which is a representation of human's dreams and hopes. The light is ahead of them, revealing how the distance and difficulties to achieve those goals grow bigger as time passes by. The second sentence shows how people are determined to reach the "light", even though it has escaped them several times. Therefore, the optimistic dreamers struggle harder and restlessly until "one fine morning-" they feel it close enough to graze it with the tips of their fingers. Unfortunately, the moment is quickly over and the light slips away swiftly. The last sentence uses the metaphor of the "current", which represents the attachment of the past that pulls people and impedes them to transform their hopes into reality. These metaphors are exemplified in the novel through several scenarios. The first is Gatsby's persistent hope of regaining Daisy's love by means of his luxurious parties and lifestyle. They are also applied to Nick's decision of moving East in search of a better future, but then being drawn back West escaping Gatsby's murder and memories. Finally, they are used at a larger scale which involves every character in the novel: The constant strive between their attempts of becoming "successful" and wealthy individuals versus their roots and basic human nature.