How Does Fitzgerald Present Nick's Death In The Great Gatsby

Death and Destruction of Dreams

The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the growth and decline of dreams for all to see. It takes place in the 1920’s, during Prohibition. A passage from the end of Chapter 8 (pages 161-162) shows how some people rush and scramble to achieve their goals, while others lazily float along; however, when the dreams inevitably die, the vicious cycle will begin again. The passage is from the point of view of Nick Carraway. Nick has the sudden urge to visit Jay Gatsby; therefore, he rushes over to Gatsby’s house in West Egg from his work in the city. Nick describes the scene of Gatsby’s death to the reader. Gatsby lays on a mattress in his pool early in the morning, when a heartbroken George Wilson

Many people’s aspirations in this time period are starting life poor and ending life rich. Gatsby is the son of destitute farm workers, and he dies a member of the new upper class. But Gatsby’s dream is to rekindle his love with Daisy Buchanan, and he fails on this account. Nick says Gatsby “want[s] to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (110). Gatsby is completely obsessed with Daisy, and he even has a book of clippings of her (93). Gatsby garners a fortune to attract Daisy, but in the end she chooses her somewhat abusive husband, Tom Buchanan, over Gatsby. This shows that no matter how hard one tries, dreams may remain just out of

Fitzgerald reveals this character trait by contrasting different characters’ reactions. Nick cares immensely about his dreams, which Fitzgerald represents with Gatsby. When Nick approaches Gatsby’s house, he “rush[es] anxiously up the front steps” (161). Fitzgerald uses fast action words to display Nick’s worry about Gatsby, and thereby his dreams. Gatsby’s chauffeur, on the other hand, hears the gunshots when Wilson shoots Gatsby, but does nothing. Nick tells the reader that the chauffeur “could only say that he hadn’t thought anything much about them” (161). By the time Nick reaches Gatsby’s house, he says “[the butlers] knew then, I firmly believe” (161). They care so little that they lay idle while Gatsby, their employer, lays dead. Since Gatsby represents dreams, this shows the butlers do not care about dreams and are content with letting them die. They are just as ready to start working for a new wealthy person, which may signify restarting the cycle of dreaming and inevitable