Friendship & Alienation
Friendship
Nick is the only person, aside from Gatsby’s father, who attends the funeral. What kind of friendship do Nick and Gatsby have? What does Nick derive from this friendship?
Nick was the only true friend that Gatsby had despite his plethoric wealth and arrogance. However, this was only possible because Nick knew the actual truth of what happened regarding Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Wilson. Having analyzed all facts and evidences, Nick realized that Daisy and Tom were selfish and arrogant beyond imagination, which is why he pitied Gatsby so much. At the end, he felt sorry for Gatsby even more who yearned for his American Dream, which never came true.
Alienation
At one party, Nick observes, “People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away” (p. 37). Soon afterward, Tom breaks his lover’s nose. Does Fitzgerald use parties to highlight his characters’ failures to relate to one another? Do Gatsby’s parties reflect genuine celebration or a kind of mourning?
The author, Fitzgerald, uses indeed parties to express what kind or type of personalities each person possesses. In nearly each party Fitzgerald shows one downside or two of a character (for example when Nick first attended Gatsby's party, Fitzgerald designed Gatsby as a very anti-social person).
Regarding Gatsby's parties, when one looks at them without any further analysis, they would appear as cheerful and happy events just like any other event would happen. However, the real purpose of the parties is to ultimately attract Daisy back to his. Gatsby has waited the entire time for Daisy to come back; in fact, Daisy is his American Dream. Or was. From the moment when Gatsby went to war in Europe, his American Dream completely vanished, since the past cannot be recreated as one wishes. Therefore, Gatsby's parties served no purpose at all and went utterly sad and bitter.
Nick is the only person, aside from Gatsby’s father, who attends the funeral. What kind of friendship do Nick and Gatsby have? What does Nick derive from this friendship?
Nick was the only true friend that Gatsby had despite his plethoric wealth and arrogance. However, this was only possible because Nick knew the actual truth of what happened regarding Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Wilson. Having analyzed all facts and evidences, Nick realized that Daisy and Tom were selfish and arrogant beyond imagination, which is why he pitied Gatsby so much. At the end, he felt sorry for Gatsby even more who yearned for his American Dream, which never came true.
Alienation
At one party, Nick observes, “People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away” (p. 37). Soon afterward, Tom breaks his lover’s nose. Does Fitzgerald use parties to highlight his characters’ failures to relate to one another? Do Gatsby’s parties reflect genuine celebration or a kind of mourning?
The author, Fitzgerald, uses indeed parties to express what kind or type of personalities each person possesses. In nearly each party Fitzgerald shows one downside or two of a character (for example when Nick first attended Gatsby's party, Fitzgerald designed Gatsby as a very anti-social person).
Regarding Gatsby's parties, when one looks at them without any further analysis, they would appear as cheerful and happy events just like any other event would happen. However, the real purpose of the parties is to ultimately attract Daisy back to his. Gatsby has waited the entire time for Daisy to come back; in fact, Daisy is his American Dream. Or was. From the moment when Gatsby went to war in Europe, his American Dream completely vanished, since the past cannot be recreated as one wishes. Therefore, Gatsby's parties served no purpose at all and went utterly sad and bitter.