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Gatsby Rhetorical Analysis

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Molly Dadrugue
December 13, 2014

Gatsby and the American Dream

“I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.”
-Bruce Springsteen

Through the use of metaphors and analogies, Fitzgerald creates a reflective and logical conclusion to The Great Gatsby. In this concluding passage, the narrator, Nick, provides an explanation regarding the extinction of the American Dream, the theme of the novel. The American Dream is not shown to be the American reality in this emotionally and figuratively colorful novel. Fitzgerald uses the analogy of the American Dream in comparison to the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. The green light represents Gatsby’s dream of being with Daisy. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” (Fitzgerald) This quote describes the metaphor of the green light being Gatsby’s glimpse of hope that he and Daisy will be together in the future. Gatsby’s ignorance caused him to lose touch with the reality that year by year Daisy is moving further and further from Gatsby. This is similar to the American Dream because the green light is being compared to the continent of America. The Dutch sailors mentioned in the passage see American as a glimpse of hope for mankind. With this the American Dream is created, but as time goes by the American Dream seems to fade into a fantasy, just as Daisy fades into an element of Gatsby’s fantasies. At the end of this passage Fitzgerald uses a metaphor to compare humans, particularly Gatsby, to boats moving against a current. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”(Fitzgerald) Here, Nick reveals Gatsby’s lifelong dream of transcending his past as ultimately worthless. Gatsby cannot overcome the consequences of his upbringing, just as people cannot overcome the

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