MW
Essay #3
THE GREAT GATSBY ENDING
If you could change the ending of the Great Gatsby, what would you write and why? (Stay focused and select what you want to discuss carefully.)
The Great Gatsby is an American based novel that was written in the year nineteen twenty five by Fitzgerald F. Scott. The Novel primarily focuses on a very young and wealthy boy known as Jay Gatsby. Major themes handled include the theme of change, resistance, idealism and social encounter. The novel is without doubt a seminal piece of literature and I always find myself reading it over and over. The novel's ending is indeed a very fabulous one and captures the attention of its reader. In this paper, I will provide thoughts and suggestions on altering the ending – or rather, a slight rewording of the ending in its current state - in an attempt to leave the reader with slightly different and long lasting emotions. Here is how the novel ends in its current iteration:
"And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him; somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city. (Fitzgerald, 1925).
The ending of this novel is one of the most revered passages in literary history; in fact, it is held in such high regard that its recent celluloid interpretation had this very wording spelled out. Given a chance to reimagine the novel's ending and have it rewritten, I would aim to alter some aspect of the wording but retain relevance to the thematic structure of the book.
I would first of all, substitute orgiastic for orgasmic. Orgiastic in this context is generated from the noun orgies, having it substituted with orgasmic would give the ending a sexier, more sensual outlook. This would leave anyone that read the book from the author's point of view with a different emotion and lasting impression upon finishing that famous final page. This wording would suggest a far more seductive undertone to the Gatsby’s past, as opposed to the hints of debauchery presented in the current wording.
I would also change the use of the word green light. By the author choosing or deciding to use the word green light in his ending of the novel, he is then trying to reconnect with the theme and significance of the past, and also the current dream of his future. Human beings have proven that they cannot go beyond the past, and the author wants to further challenge this idea. Thus, I would add more wording as a substitute for the green light word. I would rewrite it to imply that Gatsby believed in his past, but did not allow his past to tie him down; his future had to be bright. Daily, when we rise we have to put in our mind that we can and have to run fast and stretch our arms further. This way, one day, we will be able to outrun our past and allow the future to take its course freely.
On the other hand, the ending typically tries to convey to the audience that their past is a reality, but we as individuals are the ones who allow the past to tie us down. This should change and the author tries to bring this concept out; it is not clear. So, the message is hidden by the strong use of imagery and metaphors that some reader might miss the point. Therefore, rewriting it as above means that no reader of the novel can end up missing what the last paragraph of the novel tries to convey. I feel it is unfair for a reader to read the whole book of one hundred and eight pages only to come and miss the point of the sweet novel’s finale.
Besides, there is also a high need for people or individuals to move forward towards the future, but their pasts always act as a setback. Gatsby is the only character that can be said to have achieved the American dream. As such, mentioning him in the last passage and talking about the possibility of a good future, can clearly help to convey the message that it’s ok to dream of a brighter road ahead. The theme of hope and dreams of a good future should come out clearly and be identifiable to the reader. In my rewriting of the novel's ending, my purpose is to ensure that the readers are left with a good final image of the Gatsby. Gatsby, who was a champion of hope and was able to live a good life, even when the society he was in seemed to be rotting.
In conclusion, this is how my ending of the novel would be: "Gatsby had a strong belief of a good future; his past was a motivation for the same, the orgiastic future that year in year out preceded before us. This has eluded us, but that should not be a major concern. Tomorrow will soon be here with us. What can we do about it? We have to run faster, with our arms stretched even further. With that, we will wake up one morning to a society where our past means nothing, and all that matters will be our future."
