How Does The Great Gatsby End In The Book? The Ending Meaning

The ending of The Great Gatsby is one of American literature’s most famous (and infamous). How does the Great Gatsby end, and what does it mean?

There are several possible interpretations of the book’s final scenes, and we’ll explore some of them here.

The Great Gatsby Quotes With Page Numbers

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The Great Gatsby ending paragraph

The ending paragraph of The Great Gatsby reads, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” by Nick Carraway, Chapter 9, Page 108

 

What does the last line of the great gatsby mean?

The last line of The Great Gatsby is a metaphor for the pursuit of the American Dream. It conveys that no matter how much wealth and success we acquire, we will always strive for more.

This reflects Fitzgerald’s pessimistic view of the American Dream and suggests that we may never truly “have it all,” but we will continue to try.

It also reminds us that even though old values may be left behind, the dream of success and happiness still eludes us. The line also implies that life is constantly in flux. And no matter how hard we try to move forward, the current will always push us back.

By understanding this metaphor, we can better appreciate Fitzgerald’s message in The Great Gatsby and the complex themes explored in the novel.

The Great Gatsby American Dream Analysis

 

How Does The Great Gatsby End In The Book?

The Great Gatsby ends with Nick Carraway walking through Gatsby’s house one last time and remembering seeing Gatsby for the first time as he walks down Gatsby’s dock.

The ending serves as a perspective on what we have read or seen. If Gatsby had run away with Daisy, it would have been a love story, but instead, it is revealed to be a tragedy with Gatsby’s murder and George’s suicide.

To understand the ending, one must consider the novel’s era, as the Roaring ’20s was a time of overindulgence and great upheaval.

Daisy ultimately chooses to stay with Tom and is left with the reality that she will have to live with the consequences of her decisions, leaving the reader with a feeling of emptiness.

The last line of the novel is a metaphor for trying to row against the flow of current, emphasizing the idea that we can’t help but repeat our own history and that the past is an anchor.

 

Was the great gatsby a dream or a lie

The Great Gatsby is a blend of dreams and lies, as it speaks of the truth about people’s aspirations and pains during the period.

The main character, Jay Gatsby, is portrayed as being driven by his dreams of becoming wealthy and having the love of his life,

Daisy. However, his wealth is dishonestly gained through bootlegging, and it is questionable whether Daisy ever truly loved him. Gatsby even created his own name, proving the existence of lies and dreams. In the end,

The Great Gatsby can be seen as the truest lie ever told, as it speaks of both the hopefulness and disillusionment of the American Dream in the 1920s.

 

How does Gatsby die?

In Chapter 8 of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby dies when George Wilson shoots him in a rage.

George believed that Gatsby was responsible for the death of his wife, Myrtle, who was killed when Daisy Buchanan ran her over with Gatsby’s car. In his anger and grief, George seeks out Gatsby’s home and ultimately shoots Gatsby and himself.

Gatsby’s death symbolizes the destruction of the American Dream, as he could never achieve the success and happiness he desired.

Read Who dies in the Great Gatsby to learn more about the significance of the characters’ deaths,

And How Did Gatsby Die In The Book? To understand the significance of his death.

 

The Great Gatsby Character Development

Nick Carraway started the novel optimistic. He had dreams of learning the bond business and starting a new life. By the end, he was disillusioned with the American Dream. He felt he was doomed to repeat the past, so he returned home.

Jay Gatsby starts as a poor man who lost his love, Daisy. Gatsby devotes his life to winning her back. He sacrifices morals and values to accumulate wealth to impress her.

When he finally gets Daisy, her love isn’t enough. He wanted her to tell Tom she never loved him. She rejects Gatsby and runs over Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, with Gatsby’s car.

Gatsby covers for Daisy. But Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, believes that Gatsby is having an affair with his wife. George is the one who kills Gatsby. But Daisy rejecting Gatsby set his demise in motion.

Myrtle Wilson Quotes With Page Numbers

Jay Gatsby dies alone and forgotten along with his dreams.

When Tom and Daisy Buchanan had their daughter, Tom already had affairs. His affair with Myrtle drove Daisy to Gatsby. Tom was losing both his wife and his mistress because of his greed. In the end, Daisy stays with Tom. But we don’t know for how long.

They get away with their roles in Gatby’s, Myrtle’s, and Gearge’s deaths. But they must live with the guilt.

The Great Gatsby Character Analysis

 

FAQs

What happens to Nick at the end of Gatsby?

At the end of the book, Nick returns to the Midwest, where he was born and raised, to start a new life away from the East Coast. He takes one last walk on Gatsby’s dock, remembering the dream already passed. He reflects on Daisy’s love for Gatsby and how Gatsby could not have known that his dream was already behind him.

 

Do Gatsby and Daisy end up together?

No, Gatsby and Daisy do not end up together. Daisy ultimately decides to stay with Tom, despite Gatsby’s efforts to shield her from the repercussions of her decisions. Daisy is not strong enough to leave her husband and is forced to live with the consequences of her choices.

Daisy Buchanan Quotes With Page Numbers

 

Why did The Great Gatsby end like that?

The Great Gatsby ends the way it does to emphasize the harsh indictment of the American Dream. Also, it highlights the unbalance and unfairness of the capitalist boom of the 1920s.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wanted to show that striving for success through hard work can be futile in an environment that only pays lip service to the American Dream ideal.

Additionally, he wanted to demonstrate that old money still dominates and that the new money of the boom will never truly be accepted in the same social circles.

How Did Gatsby Make His Money In The Book?

 

What happens to Daisy at the end of The Great Gatsby?

At The Great Gatsby’s end, Daisy is torn between Tom and Gatsby. Ultimately, she chooses to stay with Tom and has to live with the consequences of her decision. Despite Gatsby’s ultimate death in pursuit of Daisy, she survives the novel and is reunited with her husband. She doesn’t attend Gatsby’s funeral or even send a card.

 

Did Daisy Actually Love Gatsby?

No, it appears that Daisy Buchanan did not truly love Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Daisy is portrayed as a shallow and materialistic individual who values status and possessions over the concept of love. Additionally, Daisy shows no real emotion when Gatsby is shot and killed and does not even attend his funeral, which could represent her guilt for not returning Gatsby’s love.

 

Why did Daisy betray Gatsby?

Daisy betrays Gatsby because she is only using him. She wants to escape her marriage to Tom and thinks Gatsby could give her a way out. Also, Daisy wanted to be seen and admired, which Gatsby eagerly offered her. When her love isn’t enough for Gatsby, she stays with Tom, who is interested in her again.

 

Does Daisy get pregnant in The Great Gatsby?

No, Daisy does not get pregnant in The Great Gatsby. She already has a daughter at the novel’s beginning and has no other children by the end. Daisy is instead preoccupied with her tumultuous relationship with Tom and her feelings for Gatsby.

 

What happens to Tom at the end of the great gatsby?

At the end of The Great Gatsby, Tom remains with Daisy and still lives in their privileged world with all the money and power that comes with it. He has seemingly escaped any consequences for his actions and continues with his life with Daisy, oblivious or unconcerned about the wreckage he left behind.

 

What happens to Jordan Baker at the end of the great gatsby?

At the end of The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker breaks off any relationship Nick may have imagined he had with her as she tells him that she is engaged to someone else. Jordan then returns to her life of luxury in the East, leaving Nick to return to the Midwest, where he was born and raised.

“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.”

~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway, Page 109

What is ironic about Gatsby’s funeral?

The irony of Gatsby’s funeral is that despite the enormous crowds that attended his parties, he only had three people attend his funeral: Nick, Gatsby’s father, and one late-arriving stranger. This illustrates the hollowness of Gatsby’s social circle and the fickleness of his ‘friends. And Daisy, his reason for living, ignored his death.

 

What were Gatsby’s last words before he died?

Gatsby’s last recorded words before he died were “I suppose Daisy’ll call too” In Chapter 8, Page 95. Nick’s last words to Gatsby were, “They’re a rotten crowd… You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” followed by, “Good-by,” I called. “I enjoyed breakfast, Gatsby.”

Jay Gatsby Quotes With Page Numbers

 

Sources Cited

  1. gatsbyflappergirl/how-does-the-great-gatsby-end
  2. prepscholar.com/the-great-gatsby-ending-last-line-analysis
  3. goodreads.com/questions/at-the-end-of-the-novel
  4. schoolworkhelper.net/betrayal-in-f-scott-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby
  5. canada.ca/faq/what-happens-to-nick-at-the-end-of-the-great-gatsby

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