The Great Gatsby
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Gatsby being drawn into the current
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Alyssa wrote: "The Great Gatsby Gatsby was the man who looked towards the future, but was caught by his past life.
What destroyed him was his corruption, "the foul dust that followed in the wake of his dreams." The dust was everywhere--on Daisy's dance floor, on Wilson's suit, a sheen of it pervading Gatsby's empty palace, mountains of it in the valley of ashes. A poof of dusty powder even sprang from Daisy's cleavage when she bent to pick up Pammy.
Gatsby could not cherry pick the past and recreate his conquest of Daisy because he seemed blissfully ignorant of the stark reality that he was creating new layers of the past with each moment of his corrupt lifestyle.
Ultimately, Gatsby paid the price for his corruption. He ran down Wilson's wife and Wilson killed him for it. Justice was done. And no one but the gullible, mesmerized Nick cared or were curious enough to attend the funeral.
The same is true of Donald Trump. It's his corrupt past that is taking him down. His corrupt history is like a pack of hounds baying louder and louder as Mueller's scales of justice loom closer and closer.
Mesmerizing ambition took down Nixon's attorney John Dean, who had been snared in the web of his toxic charisma. The same is true of Trump's attorney Michael Cohen--trapped in his charismatic orbit along with a significant percentage of the American public.
The same poisonous charisma embodied in Richard Nixon and Donald Trump shows up in Jay Gatsby, whose dusty past caught up with him floating on a raft in a swimming pool.
I thought Dean turned on Nixon. Dean did not suffer repercussions if I recall.
Geoffrey wrote: "I thought Dean turned on Nixon. Dean did not suffer repercussions if I recall."Yes, John Dean chose country over loyalty to a criminal president and testified against him, but he did serve a little time, a few months as I recall, during which he worked on his bestseller memoir, Blind Ambition, which I bought out of gratitude.
Would you recommend its read?
I do recall reading that Nixon thought that Dean would be his Iscarot.
Geoffrey wrote: "Would you recommend its read?"It was pretty dry except for some intrigue about his wife Maureen being linked to a call-girl ring. It's been a long time.
Interesting bit about his wife, but then she would have fit in well with the political crowd.
Geoffrey wrote: "Would you recommend its read?"I feel like everyone should read Gatsby since it's such a great literary example of immersing the reader into a different time and feeling like your at these fantastically glamorous parties that Fitzgerald so aptly describes, and also how he describes the tension between Daisy and Gatsby almost makes you feel awkward for Nick that he has to be in the middle of what ends up unfolding.
I wasn´t referring to TGG but to Blind Amibition, the book that Monty recommended. I´ve read Gatsby and have commented hundreds of times.
Geoffrey wrote: "Would you recommend its read?"I would recommend you to read The Great Gatsby. Not only because the novel is a classic, but because the book contains multiple extravagant quotes used in throughout our history. The novel also reminds the reader that money cannot but happiness. One of the main characters was rich, but he never experienced happiness with his money. The novel also teaches the reader the moral importance of not trying to be something you are not. The main character Gatsby hosts extravagant parties but they do not define him as an individual. Overall, I would totally recommend you to read the classic novel.
Leslie, again, please note I have read TGG thrice. I was referring to Monty`s suggestion when I wrote ""would you recommend its read"". I don`t like repeating myself.
Geoffrey wrote: "Leslie, again, please note I have read TGG thrice. I was referring to Monty`s suggestion when I wrote ""would you recommend its read"". I don`t like repeating myself."I suspect she was making a general statement, addressing the collective "you," not a specific individual.
Alyssa wrote: "The Great Gatsby Gatsby was the man who looked towards the future, but was caught by his past life. "{He} believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes bef..."
I completely agree if Gatsby had not obsessed over his past and recreating it with Daisy as well as fighting the current of events he could have achieved his green light. Perhaps not as he expected, but in the same manner.
Alyssa wrote: "The Great Gatsby Gatsby was the man who looked towards the future, but was caught by his past life. "{He} believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes bef..."
You are totally right. Gatsby tried so hard to make his future into the past, that it killed him. If Gatsby could only let go of his past, he would have survived the book. We knew since the beginning that Gatsby was a handsome man, he could have married any women that he wonted but he did not. All of this could have been avoided if Gatsby forgot about Daisy.
Like Donald Trump, Gatsby's choices of women were limited to those who could accept his corruption .
But Daisy did not, Monty.
Geoffrey wrote: "But Daisy did not, Monty."That 's right. As soon as Daisy knew Gatsby was a crook she dropped him and returned to Tom, who had investigated and exposed Gatsby and promised to reform.
Melania on the other hand is stuck with Trumpov. Although she seems to be spending more and more time away from him.
when the Trump era is dead and gone, we will anticipate the hordes of memoirs, reminiscences, SF movies, etc that will twist and turn DT´s future as is the present. It will be interesting to see what the pundits have to say 5 years from now as well as the creative artists. Robert Ludlum, Patterson, what sayest thou?
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Gatsby was the man who looked towards the future, but was caught by his past life. "{He} believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. {...} to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning- so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"(180). The Green light is what Gatsby sees as his future, but year by year he was moved back before himself into the past. Gatsby stayed optimistic and hopeful of his future as it seemed as if he was running faster towards tomorrow stretching out his arms for more to grasp to help form his future. He kept fighting against the current of life to achieve his Green light... his future. The more that Gatsby fought against the current of life and people, the more he was drawn ceaselessly into the past of what he was trying to change about himself; however, he did want his past love life back. Gatsby's inability to leave his past behind, and his stubbornness in trying to re-create the past, caused him to stray farther from the future that he believed in and in turn made him fall more into the past of being drawn by the current of life.