There isn't much direct textual evidence to support it, but I believe that Nick Carraway's coming inadvertently led to what happened with Wilson's family, Gatsby's death, and Daisy's ultimate fate of being forced to remain with Tom. The reason is Nick interfered with the reconciliation of Gatsby and Daisy, and if their relationship had not been rekindled, then Tom Buchanan never would have gotten angry enough at Gatsby to tell George Wilson that it was Gatsby's car that killed his wife (178). Going back even further, Myrtle's death might not have even happened in the first place, because if Nick hadn't helped in getting Daisy and Gatsby together, then they wouldn't have been together that night with Daisy driving Gatsby's car (143). Of course, there is no way for the audience to know what could have happened in an alternate timeline, so whether or not Nick did indirectly set off the chain of events is purely speculative.
What do Nick's comments about the green light and the "boats against the current" at the end of the novel stand for?
Nick's final statements wrap up a central theme of the novel, which is that trying to recreate the past is a futile attempt that ultimately leads nowhere. Throughout the novel, the green light had symbolized Gatsby's struggle for Daisy, but really what he wanted was to recreate their relationship in the past. Nick compares this struggle to boats paddling against the current; no matter how hard Gatsby tried to "paddle" to a future that looked like his past, it was only dragging him backwards continually (180).
Why does Jordan Baker pretend that she doesn't have feelings for Nick at the end of the novel?
When going to see Jordan for the last time, she remarks to Nick that she had been taken with him for a time, but now that she didn't "give a damn about [him]" (177). She is already engaged to someone else, and even treats Nick with mild contempt. The possible reasons for this are 1) she realizes Nick's partial responsibility for the tragic events that occurred and resents him for this, blocking out the desire she had to be with him, 2) is disappointed with how things turned out and wants to move on from it by hastily becoming engaged to another man, or 3) is angry with Nick for leaving her and not giving her the attention she thought she deserved. There is no concrete answer to this, but it is clear that Jordan does end things with Nick on a contemptuous note, evidenced by her mysterious comment that he is also a "bad driver" and her insinuation that he is not who she thought he was (177).
Is Tom truly evil at heart?
Despite the highly negative light he is portrayed in throughout the novel, we can see Tom display real emotion at Myrtle's death, despite that she may have been only a mistress to him (141). He also takes measures to comfort Wilson, who is in hysteria over his wife's death, possibly because he understands what it is like to "lose" his wife as well, even if only figuratively (140). Still, Nick retains an unfavorable opinion of Tom by the end of the novel, but it is up for debate whether or not Tom's negative impression throughout the book is caused partially by Nick or is a real representation of his character.
Fantastic job with all three Gatsby blog entries. Especially in this final one, you do a good job of working in and (perhaps more importantly) explaining them. Insightful questions here that should make for some good discussion, particularly the one about Tom.
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