In the second part of The Great Gatsby, the plot has really unfolded, the extended symbolism is entirely revealed, and the characters have been completely developed and trashed. The end of the novel is, well, the end, but it is also the end. What I mean is, several characters meet their ends (death) and the ones that are fortunate enough to survive might as well have ended: they lead miserable lives. Nick is 30 and still hasn't made anything of himself; Tom and Myrtle are clearly no longer in love and want to be with other people and are miserable with each other, but ultimately just decide to stay together and be miserable. The Great Gatsby's main plot was to show the corruptions of the "American Dream". Obviously, the dream has many corruptions, but I like to remain hopeful. I like to think that everyday-nobodies make someone of themselves even though society is rooting against them: I like to believe that people can rise out of their social classes and become someone great. However, I am not saying The Great Gatsby says people can't do that, but the ending can kind of leave one feeling a little bit hopeless.
My favorite symbol in the book is the green light. At the beginning the green light is hope for Gatsby to achieve his dream of getting Daisy, and, by the end of the book, Nick sees the green light as a sign of lost hope, broken and unobtainable dreams. And, if I think about it too long, the symbol is a bit depressing, but I think this symbol is pretty cool because it shows as people have different life experiences, people change their perspectives.
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