gatsby why of course you can

by Marian Dickens 8 min read

“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.

Full Answer

What does Nick tell Gatsby to do about the past?

What is the Great Gatsby about?

What does Gatsby mean by Can't Repeat the past?

Feb 07, 2021 · In chapter 6, Nick tells Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past," Gatsby replies, "Why of course you can." Do you agree with Nick or with Gatsby? Most readers would agree with …

What does Nick Carraway say to Gatsby in Chapter 6?

May 15, 2014 · “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. However, some of Fitzgerald’s critics argue that, on a second level, Fitzgerald is asking this question of his own …

Why does Gatsby say why of course you can?

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.

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

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.

Can't repeat the past ?' He cried incredulously Why of course you can?

' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you can! ' He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand.

Who said I wouldn't ask too much of her I ventured you can't repeat the past can't repeat the past he cried incredulously Why of course you can?

"I wouldn't ask too much of her," I ventured. "You can't repeat the past." "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously.

Why does Gatsby lie about his past?

He is simply ashamed of his past and to be who he wants to be that past must remain a secret. Daisy however is shamed by what she has done recently, which is committing adultery. Daisy lying is much more complex as a young woman she seems quite lost and her lying is not as deliberate as Gatsby's.

What does the green light symbolize in The Great Gatsby?

The green light Nick first sees Gatsby stretching his arms towards a green light at the end of Daisy's dock. Here, the green light is a symbol of hope.

Does Gatsby truly embody the American Dream?

Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of commonly recognized elements of the American Dream. He is a self-starter, coming from commonplace folk, working hard, and accumulating wealth and status.Jun 6, 2013

What awkward unpleasant thing did Nick do?

What "Awkward, unpleasant thing" did nick do before leaving the East? He met with Jordan to talk over what had happened to and around them.

What is Gatsby's response to Nick saying I wouldn't ask too much of her you can't repeat the past?

How does Gatsby react to Nick's statement about Daisy, “I wouldn't ask too much of her. You can't repeat the past”? He replies, “Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!”

How does Gatsby respond when Nick says of Daisy I wouldn't ask too much of her you can't repeat the past?

How does Gatsby react to Nick's statement about Daisy, "I wouldn't ask too much of her. You Can't repeat the past." He replies, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!"

Who thinks you can repeat the past and who thinks you can't 110 theme?

The Great Gatsby Time Analysis After Nick telling him that the past belongs there, Gatsby replies with this “ Can't repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!” (110) Gatsby has no real connection with the true difference between the past and present, they are the same to him.

What is Gatsby's goal?

Throughout his adult life, Gatsby’s goal has been to recapture the past. Specifically, he longs to recapture the past romance he had with Daisy. Nick, the realist, tries to point out that recapturing the past is impossible, but Gatsby utterly rejects that idea.

Who is the narrator of The Great Gatsby?

The novel’s narrator, young salesman Nick Carraway, describes Jay Gatsby thusly when he first encounters the man in person. In this description, focused on Gatsby’s particular manner of smiling, he captures Gatsby’s easy, assured, almost magnetic charisma.

Does Gatsby love Daisy?

By the time they meet again, Daisy has grown and changed; she is a real and flawed human who could never measure up to Gatsby’s image of her. Gatsby continues to love Daisy, but whether he loves the real Daisy or simply the fantasy he believes her to be remains unclear.

What does Gatsby say to Nick?

When Nick tells Gatsby that you can't repeat the past, Gatsby says "Why of course you can!". Gatsby has dedicated his entire life to recapturing a golden, perfect past with Daisy. Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past.

Was Jay Gatsby a penniless young man?

However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders. So he made the most of his time.

What is the connection between Gatsby and Daisy?

Just as "new money" is money without social connection, Gatsby's connection to Daisy exists outside of history. Nick's fear of the future foreshadows the economic bust that plunged the country into depression and ended the Roaring Twenties in 1929. The day Gatsby and Tom argue at the Plaza Hotel, Nick suddenly realizes that it's his thirtieth ...

What does Gatsby believe about Daisy?

Gatsby has dedicated his entire life to recapturing a golden, perfect past with Daisy. Gatsby believes that money can recreate the past. Fitzgerald describes Gatsby as "overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves.".

Where was Jay Gatsby?

The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty.

How did Gatsby's notoriety spread?

Gatsby's notoriety, spread about by the hundreds who had accepted his hospitality and so become authorities on his past, had increased all summer until he fell just short of being news.

What did Gatsby say about Daisy?

Gatsby indicated a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white plum tree. Tom and Daisy stared, with that peculiarly unreal feeling that accompanies the recognition of a hitherto ghostly celebrity of the movies. "She's lovely," said Daisy. "The man bending over her is her director.".

Where did Jay Gatsby come from?

The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy ...

How old was James Gatz when he changed his name?

James Gatz—that was really, or at least legally, his name. He had changed it at the age of seventeen and at the specific moment that witnessed the beginning of his career—when he saw Dan Cody's yacht drop anchor over the most insidious flat on Lake Superior.

Who borrowed a row boat from the Tuolomee?

It was James Gatz who had been loafing along the beach that afternoon in a torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants, but it was already Jay Gatsby who borrowed a row-boat, pulled out to the Tuolomee and informed Cody that a wind might catch him and break him up in half an hour.

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