Final answer:
In 'The Great Gatsby', quotes that support the theme of the past include discussions about the impossibility of recapturing what is lost and the continual influence the past has on the present.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quotes from The Great Gatsby that support the theme of the past include:
- "You can't repeat the past?" - This showcases the character's desire to recapture what has been lost and their struggle against the irreversible flow of time.
- "So, we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." - This famous last line of the novel emphasizes the persistent, though often futile, effort to reclaim the past.
- "His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." - Illustrates the proximity of the past goals and dreams and the difficulty of achieving them in the present.
- "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life." - While not directly about the past, this quote reflects on the immediate tension of experiencing life with a sense of detachment, linking back to the theme of the past influencing the present.
Fitzgerald's portrayal of the 1920s in his personal life and written works demonstrates the hedonistic lifestyle and the eventual disillusionment that characterized the decade. In The Great Gatsby, he uses the characters to delve into themes such as the past, showing how it continually affects the present despite attempts to either escape or recreate it.