(WARNING: SPOILERS!!!
if you haven't read Gatsby or seen the movie, stop reading NOW because its good and I will ruin the whole story for you!)
A refresher:
In the Great Gatsby, Gatsby is in love with Daisy, but she is way out of his league. She's rich, he's poor. He does whatever he can (mostly illegal things-bootlegging, etc.) to become rich so that she will love him. He doesn't care about the money at all, just Daisy. He buys a house directly across the water from hers on Long Island. Daisy's house is huge and magnificent. He sits outside his house by night and watches the green light which marks Daisy's dock. The problem is that while Gatsby was making his fortune, Daisy got married and had a daughter. When she finds out that Gatsby is rich, they start an affair, kept secret from everyone except their friend Nick (the narrator). However they have different ideas about how far the affair should go. Soon there are a lot of misunderstandings and Gatsby is shot in his swimming pool
My cousin came up with this interpretation:
The song talks about a house, garden, and boy across the river. This part is from Daisy's perspective--she wants Gatsby and his money.
Their lives were meant for each other, but they cannot get to each other.
Gatsby pleases those who will never be pleased, because he deals with both criminals and rich people who are greedy and always want more.
When it starts talking about gold, it is entirely from Gatsby's perspective. He doesn't care at all about the money, just Daisy. He knows that gold is fleeting, fickle, and fun.
"I would rather be dry than held up by a golden gun/saying work more, earn more, live more, have more fun" refers to how Gatsby's death is a culmination of all the things he did, especially getting rich illegally. He is also in a swimming pool. A person would say they would rather "be dry," both literally (not dead and therefore not in the pool) and figuratively (really poor) than be staining the pool with their own blood. They would also want to have worked more (he, unlike people like Daisy's husband who were born rich, worked for his money, albeit illegally. He put his whole life into it), earn more (he worked for it, but he didn't earn it because he did it so illegally), live more (Gatsby spent all of his time trying to get Daisy, but she would leave him if their affair became inconvenient. He wasted his entire life on nothing, and died for it), and have more fun (Gatsby never even bothered to enjoy the ridiculous parties he threw in order to catch Daisy's attention. He just sat and watched.) HOWEVER Gatsby himself would never actually say any of this, even after his death, because he was so in love with Daisy. This is a logical reaction fro, not Gatsby's.
It's The Great Gatsby.
(WARNING: SPOILERS!!! if you haven't read Gatsby or seen the movie, stop reading NOW because its good and I will ruin the whole story for you!)
A refresher: In the Great Gatsby, Gatsby is in love with Daisy, but she is way out of his league. She's rich, he's poor. He does whatever he can (mostly illegal things-bootlegging, etc.) to become rich so that she will love him. He doesn't care about the money at all, just Daisy. He buys a house directly across the water from hers on Long Island. Daisy's house is huge and magnificent. He sits outside his house by night and watches the green light which marks Daisy's dock. The problem is that while Gatsby was making his fortune, Daisy got married and had a daughter. When she finds out that Gatsby is rich, they start an affair, kept secret from everyone except their friend Nick (the narrator). However they have different ideas about how far the affair should go. Soon there are a lot of misunderstandings and Gatsby is shot in his swimming pool
My cousin came up with this interpretation:
The song talks about a house, garden, and boy across the river. This part is from Daisy's perspective--she wants Gatsby and his money.
Their lives were meant for each other, but they cannot get to each other. Gatsby pleases those who will never be pleased, because he deals with both criminals and rich people who are greedy and always want more.
When it starts talking about gold, it is entirely from Gatsby's perspective. He doesn't care at all about the money, just Daisy. He knows that gold is fleeting, fickle, and fun.
"I would rather be dry than held up by a golden gun/saying work more, earn more, live more, have more fun" refers to how Gatsby's death is a culmination of all the things he did, especially getting rich illegally. He is also in a swimming pool. A person would say they would rather "be dry," both literally (not dead and therefore not in the pool) and figuratively (really poor) than be staining the pool with their own blood. They would also want to have worked more (he, unlike people like Daisy's husband who were born rich, worked for his money, albeit illegally. He put his whole life into it), earn more (he worked for it, but he didn't earn it because he did it so illegally), live more (Gatsby spent all of his time trying to get Daisy, but she would leave him if their affair became inconvenient. He wasted his entire life on nothing, and died for it), and have more fun (Gatsby never even bothered to enjoy the ridiculous parties he threw in order to catch Daisy's attention. He just sat and watched.) HOWEVER Gatsby himself would never actually say any of this, even after his death, because he was so in love with Daisy. This is a logical reaction fro, not Gatsby's.
I‘m so fascinated by your theory of alas...and Gatsby?It's match perfect!
I‘m so fascinated by your theory of alas...and Gatsby?It's match perfect!