can’t repeat the past?” …... “why of course you can!”

“You can’t repeat the past,” says Nick Carraway to Jay Gatsby. This quote belongs in Chapter 6 of Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, “The Great Gatsby

.” To which Gatsby replies, “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course, you can!” This conversation gives a hint about Gatsby’s intention to return Daisy Buchanan, his past love.

Full Answer

What does Gatsby mean when he says can't repeat the past Why of course you can?

“Can't repeat the past? Why, of course you can!” Jay Gatsby, the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, said this to his friend Nick Carraway in order to convince both himself and Nick that he could recapture Daisy Buchanan, his former love.

When Nick told Gatsby that you cant repeat the past Gatsby replied Why of course you can do you agree with Nick or Gatsby?

In response to Nick Gatsby say's "can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!" This truly highlights his inability to accept the truth, being that Daisy has moved on and is married with a child. It is not only foolish, it is delusional to think that you can turn back time.

When Nick told Gatsby that you can't repeat the past Gatsby replied Why of course you can quizlet?

When Nick told Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past," Gatsby replied, "Why of course you can!" Do you agree with Nick or Gatsby? I believe that you can do your best to duplicate something from the past, but it will not be exactly as it was before.

When Nick tells Gatsby that he can't repeat the past how does Gatsby respond?

Nick tells Gatsby, in reference to Daisy, "You can't repeat the past." Gatsby replies "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!" Why is Gatsby so insistent that the past can (and will) be repeated?

What is Nick's view of repeating the past?

Nick know that you can't and shouldn't repeat the past, but Gatsby thinks he can just erase the last five years and start over again. His opinion is unrealistic because it's been five years and both of them have changed.

Why was Gatsby so obsessed with the past?

So Gatsby's obsession with the past is about control—over his own life, over Daisy—as much as it is about love. This search for control could be a larger symptom of being born into a poor/working class family in America, without much control over the direction of his own life.

What does Nick believe about the past what does Gatsby believe?

Nick believes Gatsby's account of his past, which endears Gatsby to Nick and makes Nick trust the man more. The chapter also hints at Gatsby's current, possibly nefarious, business with the introduction of Meyer Wolfsheim. Most importantly, it reveals the past relationship between Gatsby and Nick's cousin, Daisy.

Is it possible to repeat the past?

No, you can't repeat the past. Simply, you can't repeat the past because you are not the same person you were in the past. As you grow and get older, your experiences start forming who you are and the decisions you make.

What's Gatsby's view of the past?

What is Gatsby's view of the past? When Nick says that Gatsby "wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy," what do you think he means? Gatsby wants everything to he has idealized since he and Daisy last parted. He wants the past to disappear.

How could Gatsby wanting to recreate the past end up causing a problem?

How could Gatsby wanting to recreate the past end up causing a problem? You can not create the past, but Gatsby is a dreamer and thinks he is God and is always in control. How did James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? when he met Dan Cody he changed his name because he no longer wanted to be the poor boy from North Dakota.

Which quote proves Gatsby's feelings about time?

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . . And one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

Where does Gatsby tell Nick about his past?

He then describes a trip that he took to New York with Gatsby to eat lunch. As they drive to the city, Gatsby tells Nick about his past, but his story seems highly improbable.

Can't repeat the past?

“You can’t repeat the past,” says Nick Carraway to Jay Gatsby. This quote belongs in Chapter 6 of Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, “The Great Gatsby.” To which Gatsby replies, “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course, you can!” This conversation gives a hint about Gatsby’s intention to return Daisy Buchanan, his past love.

Who does Daisy hit in the end of the story?

At the same time, she knows he is cheating with Myrtle Wilson. By the way, there is an unexpected turn of events. At the end of the story, Daisy hits Myrtle, who doesn’t survive in a car accident. The story is told by Nick Carraway, who meets Gatsby upon arriving in New York.

Who said you can't repeat the past?

Jay Gatsby makes this response to Nick Carraway ’s statement, “You can’t repeat the past.” Their conversation occurs after Daisy and Tom Buchanan have left a party at Gatsby’s house. It is the first one they have attended, and Gatsby can tell that Daisy did not like it. Nick is...

What does Gatsby not understand?

What Gatsby does not—or will not, or cannot—understand is that it was that anticipation and that hint of physical contact that made the moment so perfect for both of them. He tries to convince himself that he, Daisy, and Tom can meet socially as a way to get closer to her. The effect, of course, is to make her nervous and Tom jealous. His next step will be to stop socializing and have Daisy come to his house alone.

Does Gatsby want to repeat the past?

Gatsby does not want to repeat the entire past, only select moments of the past. He wants to believe he can pick and choose the best fragments of his shattered past and in doing so block out the unpleasant ones. Rather than the horrors of war, for example, he remembers the months he spent at Oxford. The focus of this selective reinvention is Daisy. While she has been his ideal, the corporeal aspect of their relationship centered on a single perfect kiss. The build up to that kiss has created an idyllic vision in his mind. It remains unfocused in his mind that it is part of himself that he is trying to recover. Nick says, “He wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy.”

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