![]() ![]() We might say that these themes are culminated in the final line of the novel, using the other literary devices explored above. These include the so-called “American Dream,” societal and class differences, wealth and excess, and a decline in moral and ethical values. We can see several major recurring themes throughout the story. Rather, this struggle is one that most of us can relate to in one way or another, whether we have chased love, success, or money. The word “we” suggests that this struggle is universal Nick is clearly not talking just about Gatsby, himself, or any of the dysfunctional characters in the novel. 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. The tone of the final line can best be described as melancholic. Jay Gatsby built a life of material excess in hopes of winning Daisy’s heart, but in building a life this way, our narrator reminds us that no matter how hard he beats against the current, he will only be “borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Daisy’s love, which hides behind the green light, will continue to elude him. The color green symbolizes money, greed, and materialism, which are all recurring themes in the story. 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. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter–tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. Immediately before the final line, Nick observes: In order to fully appreciate the ending of the novel, it would be helpful to review the symbolism used earlier in the same passage. 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. However, alliteration can do more than just make things sound pretty: it’s also used to draw emphasis on certain ideas. ![]() This literary device is often used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, or a musical flow, and it certainly does so here. This repetition of a consonant sound is known as 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. And when it is placed in the context of the full story, it can still seem, well… pretty ambiguous.īut what you can do to better understand these final words is apply your knowledge of literary devices and techniques to decode Fitz’s message. Now, taken out of context, that line can seem pretty cryptic, or at best ambiguous. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” ![]()
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