Question

What is the meaning of the last line in the great gatsby?

Answer 1

The last line in 'The Great Gatsby' highlights the elusive nature of the American Dream and the individuality of human experience, as portrayed by F. Scott Fitzgerald against the backdrop of the 1920s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The meaning of the last line in The Great Gatsby is a reflection on the nature of the American Dream and the relentless tide of history that pushes us forward even as we attempt to reach into our past. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses this line to underscore the novel's themes of nostalgia and the unattainable nature of certain dreams. The characters in the novel are not meant to represent anything beyond themselves, embodying Fitzgerald's focus on the individuality of human experience. While Jay Gatsby can be seen as the embodiment of the 1920s American dream, his story remains uniquely his own, symbolic of both the individual and the universal search for fulfillment. In Fitzgerald's work, themes such as money, unattainable love, and individual identity are prominent, providing a commentary on the 1920s, where the pursuit of happiness often came hand in hand with a sense of futility and disillusionment.

Answer 2

In general the last paragraphs talk about the past. The last sentence is trying to tie up the whole meaning of the novel. Which was Gatsby desperately trying to turn back time and have what he used to have. He compares Gatsby's wonder to the wonder of the sailors who had once discovered the very land in which Gatsby's house stands. The wonder of him being able to see the green light at the end of the dock. The wonder that can never really happen again. But it highlights that Gatsby, and us are doing so ceaselessly. It is a struggle that would never end as we struggle towards turning back time to recapture a moment in our past.