The Great Gatsby #3

1. What moral can be derived from the fact that no one attended Gatsby’s funeral?
The stark attendance at Jay Gatsby’s goes to show how much of an impact Gatsby had on the lives of those in his community. He was known only for festivities and entertainment. However, because he did no more than host grand parties, no one knew him for his valuable character. His entire life revolved around partying, so his guests refused to take part in a serious occasion relating to him. He also failed to build lasting relationships with those around him during his lifetime, so he had no friends to mourn his death. The moral that can be drawn from this is that the purpose of one’s actions during life is reflected in their legacy after death. Due to the fact that Gatsby was entirely focused on impressing Daisy during his life, no one else remembered or valued his existence after his death.
2. Why did Gatsby choose for such seemingly minor characters to have such a large role in the conclusion of this book?
Characters such as Myrtle and her husband were very much necessary in this book. Their insignificance alone played a role. Throughout the book, we are we led on to believe that they are simply filler characters present to make Tom’s character more interesting. In the end, however, Fitzgerald shocks the audience as he kills Myrtle and Gatsby through murders. This, too, proves a moral because it shows how major minor actions can be. Misunderstandings and small actions can have large effects regardless of the intentions of those involved.
3. How do Daisy’s actions in the finale of the book affect the audience’s final opinions of her?
Fitzgerald causes the audience to have mixed feelings about Daisy during the course of the story. In the end, Daisy’s murder of Myrtle causes her own lover to be killed my Myrtle’s husband. Besides this selfish act, she then goes on to forego Gatsby’s funeral. Regardless of whether guilt or pure self-absorption was the motive behind her absence, this shows her true character. Finally, the audience on a sour note in regards to Daisy because of her poor character that finally emerges in its entirety.
4. Does Gatsby ever reach the ‘green light’?
The answer to this depends on what the ‘green light’ represents. Due to its location on Daisy’s dock, it can be inferred that the light has something to do with Daisy. Some people believe that green represents hope and prosperity. Others believe it stands for evil or envy. I don’t believe that Gatsby was envious of Tom and his life. After his re-connection with Daisy, he proves to her much better than Tom he actually was, so I believe he was simply longing to be with Daisy. However, I choose to side with the idea that the green represents hope. Gatsby continued to be hopeful in his quest to win Daisy back. His reaching motion further shows how he was ‘reaching’ for a life with her. He did reach his goal of winning her back as she confessed her love for him. However, his death prior to the permanent reunification of them leads me to believe that he never did fully reach his goal.