decline of the american dream

Question 1

‘ w - - - f - - - d - - - f - - - - - in t - - w - - - of h - - d - - - - - ‘ C1

Answer 1

‘what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams’ gatsby C1

Foreshadows the death of Gatsby and his ambition, with the motif of “dust” hinting at his inability to escape the confines of his lower class

Question 2

‘ a - - - - - - - c - - h - - - - - n - - t - - - w - - - s - - - o - - - t - - - b - - - - - ‘ ‘ a - - - - - - - at a - - ‘

Answer 2

“‘Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge,’ I thought; ‘anything at all…’” (Nick - C4)

Despite following Gatsby’s false biography, Nick sees the ability to achieve as limitless in the liberated city of New York; it implies that the American Dream can succeed.

(LINK: Attitude to NY could be similar to Steinbeck’s initial portrayal of California - both prove only illusory.)

Question 3

‘ d - - - - t - - - - - - s - - - - of h - - d - - - - - … t - - c - - - - - - - v - - - - - - - of h - - i - - - - - - - ‘

Answer 3

“Daisy tumbled short of his dreams… the colossal vitality of his illusion” (Gatsby - C5)

Gatsby had so high ideals of Daisy that it would be impossible for her to meet them.

(LINK: Likened to the great faith that the migrants put in California, only for their ideals to be unfulfilled.)

Question 4

‘p - - - a h - - - p - - - - f - - l - - - - - t - - l - - - w - - - a s - - - - - d - - - - ‘

Answer 4

“paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (Gatsby - C8)

Without his idealistic dream, Gatsby has no incentive to keep him alive.

(LINK: Deaths of Granma and Grampa as they also cannot depart with their ideals and tradition.)

Question 5

‘s - - - - - - - - - of t - - v - - - - … s - - - - - - - t - - - - in t - - m - - - - - - - - — w - - - - - - - o - - - n - - - - - - ‘

Answer 5

“Sacredness of the vigil… standing there in the moonlight - watching over nothing.” (Gatsby - C7)

Nick recognises that Gatsby’s remaining hope is pointless.

(LINK: The persistent hope of the migrants that they will find their dream, as they cannot afford to return home or give up.)

Question 6

‘ p - - - - - - we p - - - - - - - - s - - - d - - - - - - - - - in c - - - - - w - - - - m - - - us s - - - - - u - - - - - - - - - - to E - - - - - - l - - -‘

Answer 6

“Perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life” (Nick - C9)

While the East is associated with fast-paced decadence and poor morality, the West/Midwest embody America’s traditional moral values. Nick believes their western origins are the source of their reaction to the wealth-obsessed culture of New York. The infeasibility of Nick’s Midwestern values in NY mirror the impracticality of Gatsby’s dream.

Question 7

‘so we b - - - on, b - - - - a - - - - - - t - - c - - - - - - , b - - - - b - - - c - - - - - - - - - - i - - - t - - p - - - ‘

Answer 7

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Nick - C9)

We optimistically pursue an ever-distant goal, unable to recreate the past. It symbolises the inevitable failure of Gatsby to recapture the American Dream and achieve acceptance in the aristocratic world.

(LINK: Futile and failing attempts of the migrants to achieve their dream of prosperity.)