Chapter 5

池无完船

This part is the climax and ending of the novel, telling the complete disillusionment of Gatsby’s dream and his tragic death. Chapter 6 first reveals Gatsby’s true background: he was born into a poor family, and his real name is James Gatz. He has been eager to get rid of poverty since childhood and finally made a fortune through illegal ways. Later, Tom starts to investigate Gatsby and exposes his humble origin and illegal wealth in front of Daisy, which hits Gatsby hard. Then comes the crucial conflict at the hotel: Gatsby and Tom have a fierce quarrel, trying to let Daisy admit that she never loved Tom, but Daisy hesitates and finally chooses to stay with Tom. On the way back, Daisy drives Gatsby’s car and accidentally runs over Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, but she escapes without courage. What’s more, Tom frames Gatsby up, telling Myrtle’s husband Wilson that Gatsby is the one who killed his wife. Finally, Wilson breaks into Gatsby’s mansion and shoots him dead, and then kills himself. After Gatsby’s death, no one attends his funeral except Nick, those guests who once enjoyed his grand parties all disappear, which makes his ending even more desolate. This part deeply reveals the theme of the disillusionment of the American Dream and criticizes the moral decay of the Jazz Age. Gatsby’s tragedy is not only a personal tragedy, but also a social tragedy. He pursues Daisy with all his efforts, and Daisy is actually a symbol of the upper-class life and the American Dream he yearns for. His failure means that the so-called American Dream, which claims that people can realize their ideals through hard work, is just a false illusion for ordinary people at that time. The old aristocracy represented by Tom and Daisy are cold-blooded and selfish—they destroy others’ lives at will but can live a comfortable life safely, which reflects the darkness and unfairness of the society. The desolate funeral of Gatsby is the most ironic part, which fully shows the hypocrisy of human relationships in the materialistic society, where people only care about their own interests and ignore true feelings. After reading this part, I am filled with sadness and emotion. Gatsby’s persistence and sincerity are precious, but he is finally destroyed by the cruel reality and selfish people. He is a tragic hero who sticks to his dream, but his dream is built on the wrong person and the false American Dream. What makes me feel most angry is the selfishness of Tom and Daisy—they are the real murderers, but they can escape all responsibilities and start a new life easily. This makes me realize that in a society where material is more important than morality, true feelings and noble ideals are extremely fragile. Besides, the ending sentence “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” touches me deeply. It tells us that everyone is chasing their own dreams, but sometimes we are always pushed back by reality. This book not only tells a tragic love story, but also makes us think about the true meaning of life and dreams, which is worthy of our deep reflection for a long time.