The Great Gatsby: The Past is Forever in the Present

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Time remains a universal continuation of the past into the present and bears a strong hold on the future. The destruction of satisfaction in history withholds the contentment of the future with an impeding sense of unalterable guilt. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates “the past is forever in the present” through numerous literary and narrative techniques, suggesting that memories serve as crucial components in the development of individuals. Fitzgerald implements a first party narrative through Nick Caraway’s recollection of the events of the plot in order to effectively demonstrate the scarring, yet beneficial, effects of memories on the current mindset of individuals. The story is of Nick’s past, whose memories are forever impacted. The first sentence of the novel refers to Nick’s psychological description as, “… I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since” (1), revealing the impact of the knowledge ascertained from the past and the permanence of said knowledge in shaping the present. The first person chronicle provides insight into the mental effects of personal experiences on the current psychology of a person. By the end of the novel, this theme of the past bearing a stronghold in the present becomes obvious through Nick’s epiphany that, “the future is always receding in front of us… we’re forever beaten back towards the past” (180). This revelation reveals the permanence and strength of the past, preventing individuals from completely leaving the past behind and pursuing the realistic future. Fitzgerald provides this insight through first person narration, in order to demonstrate the effect history has on the present character, which is effectively presented through Nick’s recollection of eve... ... middle of paper ... ... the reader of taking the easy route along with the “current” instead of changing the tides. As humans, all are subject to memories, but the various outlooks of potential in these memories determines the probability of meeting the most contentment with life. Fitzgerald utilizes numerous literary intentions in order to illustrate “the past is forever in the present”. For centuries, humans have studied the cause and effects of past civilizations, tragedies, and wars in order to prevent horrific outcomes in the present day which further reiterates the suggestion that memories of the past provide beneficial lessons. The past presents an opportunity to build on oneself as shown through Nick, as well as the opportunity to lose oneself as shown through Gatsby. The past remains the past, but the effects of the past reveal its realistic potential in the present and future.

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