What is the message Fitzgerald is trying to say about `time` in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is one of the most controversial novels of its time vividly exposing the dualities of life : vices and virtues , noble and ignoble , rich and poor , east egg and west egg , love and lust . In The Great Gatsby , Fitzgerald creates the roaring twenties by showing the division of society . The Buchanans live on one side representing the noble class , East Egg , and Jay Gatsby lives on the other side representing not so noble class , West Egg . The Buchanans belong to the socialites , yet their lives have no

meaning . Gatsby tries to chase the American Dream , yet his idea is tarnished . He throws parties to try and fit in with the socialites . Gatsby 's idea of the American Dream is doomed because he tries to buy his way into a society that will never accept him (Taylor

The clash between the classes is clearly evident by their attitudes comments and lifestyle . The differences a re symbolized by the bed of water which divides them shores apart . Time plays a powerful role of past , very gripping and elusive throughout the novel . It is very aptly captured when Gatsby says himself Can 't repeat the past ? Why ofcourse you can ' The obsession with past , backed by strong materialism and fascination with wealth and disregard for consequences , creates complexities within the novel which would be beyond human control

The novel is filled with multiple themes which present themselves in various motifs throughout the novel . Most predominant among themes is the theme time which enwraps itself with the theme of an American dream and the repeating of the past . The last paragraph , So we beat on boats against the current , born back ceaselessly into the past ' reinforces this theme (Gevaert ) Time in the form of chasing the past , strings the actions of the characters in a way , that they become oblivious of the present . The indulgence in the present , materialism , in the form of wealth , party culture and indulgences of illegal alcohol for forgetting the past , is marked by emptiness and lack of direction and judgment . And future , which would encompass in itself the responsibility of consequences for their present action is not in consideration . This accounts for so many irresponsible acts and entanglements on the part of the characters . Characters are self-centered and selfish . Even love fades in the light of self protection , a very shallow living standard with no values , ethics and responsibility . Organized crime ran rampant , people were partying all the time , and affairs were a common play (Gevaert "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent , and to this conception he was faithful to the end (The Great Gatsby ) This is a comment made by Nick upon his reflection of the character of Gatsby . For Gatsby time had stopped when he was a seventeen year old soldier in love with Daisy . Daisy was his elusive dream which propelled almost every action in his life...