Answer to Question #198882 in English for mobi

Question

how is nick's last passage in the novel vital in the story?

Answer 1

Nicks Final message to the reader is that society is composed of Boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

It applies knowledge of literary devices and techniques to decode Fitz’s message such as

1) Alliteration

The first thing you might notice if you read this line aloud or in your head is the repetition of ‘b’ sounds: beat, boats, borne, back. It is used in poetry and prose to create rhythm or a musical flow, and it certainly does so here. The repetition of the ‘b’ sound, especially when read aloud, almost evokes the feeling of being beaten down or pushed back, which emphasizes the characters’ futile pursuits of success.

2) Symbolism

Throughout the story, Jay Gatsby spends almost every evening looking out across the bay to Daisy’s home, where a green light shines from her dock.

The color green symbolizes money, greed, and materialism, which are all recurring themes in the story.

3) Tone

The tone of the final line can best be described as melancholic. The author’s word choice certainly doesn’t offer an optimistic outlook, with the adverb “ceaselessly” and the words “borne back against” suggesting an endless, futile struggle.

4) Theme

We can see several major recurring themes throughout the story. These include the so-called “American Dream,” societal and class differences, wealth and excess, and a decline in moral and ethical values.

Ultimately, the last line of The Great Gatsby can be seen as a metaphor for the elusive American dream. Remember that Fitzgerald wrote the novel during the “Roaring 20s,” a time of great financial success and booming expansion in the United States, but also when many old values were seemingly left behind.

Nick’s observation in the final line is a reflection on how, no matter how much wealth or success we may accumulate, we’ll always chase after more in our futile efforts to “have it all.”