The Great Gatsby Repeat

Gatsby cannot accept the truth that Daisy has married somebody else, and he wants to go back to the time when Daisy and he were together. Gatsby cannot move on with his life. Through knowing about Gatsby's past and how he escapes from it, Nick learns that one must live in the present and that the attempt to get back to the past is futile, hopeless, and impossible.

This is noticeable when he is talking to Nick. He thinks he can fix everything which we see when he is talking to Nick, “ ‘ I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before,’ Gatsby said, and nodding determinedly. ‘She’ll see.’ ”(110). At this point in the novel Gatsby sees how close his goal is, but he feels that the only way to get Daisy is to repeat the past and ignore the present, so she can feel the way she did about Gatsby before she met Tom. All the characters in this book will do anything to repeat the past, and do not see all the opportunities in front of them. Yet they are living in the roaring twenties, when everyone was trying to move forward with there lives. This idea from society is ironic to the characters in the book, because society is taking advantage of these opportunities of being wealthy, getting jobs, and living in the moment. Ironically Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom are living in the past, trying to take advantage of of opportunities that have already ended, specifically with Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship.

Could that be enough for Gatsby? No. Gatsby has spent his whole life gaining the wealth he believes that Daisy deserves, that Daisy desires, to get her back. She believes that her “love” now is enough for him to let this go, but he had been devoted to her for years at this point. He cannot cope with his love not being returned until the fifth chapter, breaking him even more, because he did everything for her. She then states “ I can't help what's past.’” This could be a reference to when Gatsby says “‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’”(110). But, honestly, she is saying this to excuse her for loving Tom. She is trying to say that her love for Tom is in the past, but Gatsby does not understand that. As he believes people can repeat the past, but they cannot. He cannot repeat the relationship he had years ago with his lover, and he cannot understand why. He cannot understand that the person he once loved is gone, and now he is only in love with the memory or idea of

Another illusion that Gatsby holds is his conviction he can repeat the past. An example of this would be the way Gatsby had acted after returning from the war. He acted as if nothing had happened, and if he had not left. Gatsby states, “Can’t repeat the past, why of course you can!” Gatsby’s illusion of repeating the past runs very closely with his illusion of Daisy’s love. Gatsby believes that it would be perfectly normal and acceptable for Daisy to tell Tom that she had never loved him. He is completely motivated and determined

My first example of why you can’t repeat the past is in life emotional states change everyday. In this book you can see that Gatsby and Daisy are not the same people they were 5 years before when they fell in love. Gatsby is so in love with daisy that he is blind to the truth that they aren't the same they once were neither of them. An example of this being true is “Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Afterword he kept looking at the child with surprise. I don’t think he had ever really believed in its existence before.” (117 Fitzgerald) This shows that Daisy has had a child, which completely changes someone.Gatsby cannot change such a thing, and nothing will ever be the same no matter how much he wants it to be as it once was.

The incarnation meaning Daisy cannot be ideally perfect any longer now that Gatsby is with her. Daisy is not pure and perfect like Gatsby thought she was in the past. From Gatsby's illusions of the past preoccupying all his beliefs, he forgets about the key dimension he exists in which is the present.

The 1920s was a distinctive time in American history set between World War I and the Great Depression. In 1931 an author named Frederick Lewis Allen published a contemporary history on the 1920s titled Only Yesterday in which he describes what it was truly like during that historical time. It was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, that really captured the carefree time known as the roaring twenties. The Great Gatsby reflects America in the twenties because it portrayed various characteristics of what it was really like in the 1920s.

Jay Gatsby said “Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!” This simple quote, stated while speaking of his relationship with daisy encompasses his endless efforts in re kindling his past love. He is so invested in fighting for Daisy because he truly believes that the past can be brought back. As if there is no Tom, no child and no responsibilities. The past willingly leads us into the trap of ignorance, that we may return from journeys long and messy to find

Gatsby was convinced he could alter events from his past because the alternative of accepting his current reality was too difficult. In the beginning, Gatsby and Daisy were in love but were separated because Gatsby was drafted. However, Daisy did not patiently wait for his return

Throughout this analysis the idea of the past having negative effects on one's character has been repeated countless times. One way that was given was that Gatsby had a toxic addiction to wanting to repeat the past because he so strongly believed that everything could go back to the way it was. He was so blinded by false promises of having his old life back. Another example of the past being a destructive aspect of Gatsby's character was when he was practically forced Daisy to say that she’s only ever loved him and has never loved anyone else. Gatsby was so blinded by the past that he didn’t even

Gatsby’s motivation throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, is his desire for Daisy. When Nick [Carroway] says to Gatsby, you can’t repeat the past, he cries out, “incredulously,” “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”, it

Although he has flaws, Fitzgerald reveals Gatsby’s great capacity for hope, and his kindness toward Nick, while holding onto the hope that he will win back the love of his life, Daisy, despite coming to the incredulous conclusion that they are from two separate worlds: old and new money. In this unpleasant happening he feels “far away from her” and comes to understand not all hopes can come true (109). Nevertheless, he still desperately clings to the fantasy of winning back Daisy. His fantasy is especially exemplified when he says “can’t repeat the past?... Why of course you can!”(110) This belief comes from the idea that his ‘new money’ world will win Daisy from Tom’s ‘old money’ paradigm. Although in the end he is killed because of his love for Daisy, keeping her safe after she murdered Myrtle, yet through all this Gatsby remains kind toward his friend Nick. Starting with the invitation to his “little party,” Gatsby tries to earn Nick’s

Firstly, Gatsby is trapped in his dream where Gatsby and Daisy were once in a relationship. Gatsby wishes every night that his dream that consists of Daisy coming back in to his life, gives him the chance to live the past. Gatsby

My body freezes up, my hands get clammy as I anticipate the roll of the dice. I needed at least a six to advance to go without paying an income tax. I pull my hands to my face as I realize that I rolled a five, one less than I needed to avoid paying a tax. In terms of Monopoly, square one is where I started the game, which would be the square go. In a bigger scale, square one is much more complex because life is made up of miniature moments that are influenced by different conditions. For me, square one is where someone starts, but I see it as shaped by previous events. Therefore it is impossible to get back to square one because past events will alter someone's square one.

One of my favorite classic rock songs has always been “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen. I grew up listening to my dad’s music and this is one song that has always stuck with me. When I first found out that it was inspired by the Novel “The Great Gatsby” by F Scott. Fitzgerald I was shocked, I had never really listened to the lyrics before. After Reading the book and listening to the song a few more times, I realized that every verse is loosely based on different main characters. This gave the song new meaning for me, it now makes me picture the characters from the book and also has reminiscent sadness attached to it while still connecting to the idea of the American dream, a theme which is also very prevalent in the great Gatsby. The inspiration of characters for verses in this song makes it connects with the book on a whole new level.