"...Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men." - The Great Gatsby, pg. 2
Please explain this passage to the best of your ability. What might this foul dust be?
Minimum length requirement - 300 words
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The abortive sorrows of men, could be the things that we as human beings spend so much time feeling sad about or sorry for ourselves about when there is simply nothing we can do about them. The short-winded elations are exactly the opposite, the trivial things that make us so happy, but really are not important at all. Whatever the foul dust was, it was influential enough to cause Nick not to care about either the sorrows or the elations of life for some time. I am not sure what that foul dust could be, but it must have been something very powerful because it doesn’t even seem to be something that has to do with Nick himself, it has to do with Gatsby, and it still had enough power to effect Nick. Maybe it effected Nick so much because they were neighbors, and he somehow will become roped into the problem. Perhaps the “foul dust” is the aristocratic society that surrounds Nick that Gatsby is apart of, because Nick does not approve of the lifestyle itself, but other than that he likes Gatsby himself. I think this is because of what Nick’s father taught him, that he should not criticize anyone because most people didn’t have the same advantages that he had. So just because he did not approve of Gatsby’s lifestyle, that didn’t necessarily make Gatsby a person that Nick should judge. Maybe we can learn from this as well, just because someone has a different way of doing things or they take part in activities that you yourself don’t approve of, doesn’t mean you should write them off right away and it doesn’t give you the right to judge them. I know that I myself sometimes make snap judgments about people, and I don’t really have that right at all and especially before I meet them because even if they do something I don’t think is right, that doesn’t mean they aren’t one of the best people I could ever meet.
ReplyDeleteDespite his instincts, it appears that Nick Carraway grew to be very fond of his neighbor, Gatsby. He originally states that Gatsby “represented everything for which I have unaffected scorn.” Thankfully, he did not judge Gatsby too quickly, heeding the lesson his father taught him. He goes on to describe Gatsby’s personality as gorgeous, as he possesses a tremendous amount of hope. It is clear Nick admires Gatsby; however, this makes whatever “foul dust” that preyed on him even worse.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this foul dust is symbolic of the careless, aristocratic society that Gatsby and Nick live in. Nick himself calls it “one of the strangest communities in North America.” On West Egg, Gatsby owns a colossal mansion next to Nick’s modest house, a distinct and flamboyant indication of his wealth. However, no matter the cost of his home, Gatsby is still a resident of the less fashionable neighborhood. On the other hand, Nick’s relatives, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, exemplify the residents of adjacent East Egg. They are not only enormously wealthy, but come from well-respected families with Ivy League educations. However, the glamour of their outward appearance masks their superficial lives. Tom is having an obvious affair and Daisy simply hopes her daughter grows up to be a beautiful little fool. I think Gatsby’s dream is to one day fit into the East Egg society, despite the impossibility of it. He will never truly fit in without the right background.
In the end, whatever preys on Gatsby clearly has an enormous effect on Nick. I believe that Gatsby’s fate temporarily causes him to lose faith in mankind. He is simply disgusted with how trivial people can be, without recognizing the effect it can have on others (such as Gatsby). It also is possible that he believes life contains too much pain, with few moments of true happiness. Perhaps he believes the best way to protect himself from this sorrow is simply not to care.
I believe that this passage has many levels of meaning. First, it refers to the character of Gatsby. It alludes that he is a good person with high aspirations. It is subtly comparing him to others like him and saying that he rises above the standards that they have established, consciously or not. It also seems that the narrator became quite fond of Gatsby at a distance. This passage has an air of admiration at a distance, or of someone that the narrator has placed on a pedestal. I think that these lines also carry a disdain for the people with whom Gatsby is compared to. The “foul dust” seems to be the faults of the other wealthy people. These faults appear to be quite numerous after reading the first two chapters. Here is a social class of people who have everything (material-wise) that they could ever want, yet they are flawed horribly. Take Tom, who the narrator seems to have an especial distaste for, he is fantastically rich, handsome, athletic, and successful, but he can’t seem to be satisfied with anything. He can’t stay in one mansion for too long and he has a mistress since apparently one woman in his life is not enough. His wife, Daisy, reflects more “foul dust” among these people. She is aware of her husband’s affair, but she pretends to be blissfully ignorant. Daisy doesn’t want to delve in past the surface of any topic and chooses to be carefree and light about everything, placing no effort in anything except social events and spending money. She even wishes that her daughter will be a fool so that she has no troubles as she grows. This passage displays Gatsby as a person of means with some sense. He had a clear mind and dreams. What holds him back are the negative characteristics of the people around him. Their shortcomings and stupidity confines him and ruins what he could have become.
ReplyDeleteThis quote was very difficult for me to figure out so this is the best I have. As far as I can figure out Gatsby seems to be a decent man that is ailed with the failings of society. As we know Gatsby live in a great estate in the West Egg. The West Egg is the less fasionable of the two eggs but it is obvious that Gatsby has a great fortune and therefore he most likely surronds himself with people with the same lifestyle. Nick is made out to be a man not impressed with money or the people who have it. Especially since they seem to lack certain morals and emotions. This can be shown be Tom and Daisy. Tom is having an affair with a married woman and lives this seperae life with her. HHis wife Daisy knows but is either to scared to do anything or just doesn't care. These type of moral shortcomings are exactly what Nick has distain for and could be the "foul dust" of which the quote speaks. However, I think the foul dust could be something much darker. I may just be making this up but I got a strange feeling at the part in the novel when Cathrine says she met Gatsby and was afraid of him. Why would she have cause to fear him? Maybe there is something more than just the norm hiding in the mysterious shadow that surrounds Gatsby.
ReplyDeletePlease ignore all spelling and grammar mistakes, don't judge me cuase i cant spell.
When Nick Carraway moved into West Egg he didn’t seem pleased with his surroundings. He starts telling of all the things that he respected his father for, one of them being his words of wisdom about making judgments. He said it wasn’t wise to make judgments too quickly because you may never understand where that individual may be coming from. At first it is assumed that Nick did not like his next door neighbor Gatsby. But as he started to tell his story he made references to Gatsby as being a true influence on his life. The readers are able to assume that whatever happens later on in the novel will be extremely important and significant to Nick.
ReplyDelete“The foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams” was the negative influences of Nick Carraway’s surroundings. The difference in the society that he lived in was separated by “east” and “west”. The west side was known to be home of those with new money. People who recently got rich but had no connections to live on the east side where families there had lived for generations. Nick did not care too much about money or the materials that people around him possessed. To him money was only connected to problems. His cousin Daisy was rich and beautiful and could do whatever she wanted but she wasn’t happy with herself or her life. Daisy’s husband, Tom, was charming, intelligent and also wealthy but he cheated on his wife and still went looking for more. I believe that Nick resented Gatsby because he didn’t think Gatsby appreciated the life that he had. “The foul dust” gave Nick the wrong impression of the people who lived in his society.
I feel like the "foul dust" referred to in the passage is relatable to a negative aspect of life that is constantly nagging Gatsby. Although he turned out alright, it almost seems like he just got by whatever it was, or squeezed through a difficult time with little breathing room to spare. But whatever this negative thing is hangs over Gatsby's head is inescapable, daunting, or replica of some misfortune. Maybe this is due to the oppression of the society in which they live in.
ReplyDeleteEast and West Egg were almost two separate societies it seems. East Egg lacks wealth compared to that of West Egg. Nick Carraway lives in East Egg and seems unperturbed by his lack of wealth. He is seemingly content with where he stands for the time being. In the beginning of the passage, it states, "...Gatsby, who represented everything for what I have an unaffected scorn." Could this mean that while Nick is not completely concerned with money, Gatsby is enticed by the idea of riches and material items value? Maybe Gatsby's "foul dust" is his need for material items to feel important or belonging to a society that does not accept him. Yet, there is still something about Gatsby that draws Nick to him. I feel this is true because anyone who wants to feel some sort of empowerment draws followers. Some people just have such strong personalities, like Nick describes of Gatsby, that a person can't help but be drawn to them, no matter their opinions or beliefs. Whatever Gatsby believes, it is Nick's exception. Nick must realize that Gatsby's "foul dust" is his one downfall in life, but he has managed to get past it, and that is where he sees the good in him. Maybe it was the fact that he "turned out alright" that lead Nick to believe he had such a gorgeous personality. Either way, it is certain to say Gatsby is a person of mystery that has had some past experiences that have created a cloud over his head. His good personality may have been the thing that saved him from succumbing to the “foul dust.”
Whatever the foul dust may be, we know that Nick Carraway, is pretty fond of his neighbor, Gatsby. He speaks very highly of Gatsby saying, “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him...” But from the quote given, it is hinted that something shortly discouraged Nick from being engaged in Gatsby. The “foul dust” seems to me that something stood in Gatsby’s way that held him back from something else. Whatever preyed on Gatsby was obviously a negative impact and had such an affect that it bothered Nick as well. I think that the foul dust foreshadows something that we are unaware of right now; some force that comes along it Gatsby’s life that and places a major conflict.
ReplyDeleteThe foul dust could very well be Gatsby’s wealth. He is a resident of West Egg, which is the less rich of the two towns. He lives in a mansion next to Nick’s less elaborate, average house. Gatsby might be extremely materialistic and in love with money which Nick is not. We know that Nick is somewhat wealthy yet he doesn’t flaunt his money or act like he has a lot. Gatsby, on the other hand has great big parties and serves an abundance of food and beverages at them. This may the foul dust that disturbs Nick and turns him away.
Whatever the foul dust may be, Nick still accepts Gatsby because he says, “Gatsby turned out all right in the end.” Nick had his doubts for awhile and questioned the ways and instincts of men because of the people who surrounded him. Gatsby is still pretty mysterious but is he like the other wealthy people? Like Tom, who cheats on his wife and has a bad attitude. Gatsby could potentially carry some of the morals just like the other people of his kind. We know that Nick has a lot of morals and was taught by his father. Maybe that is what causes Nicks temporary distaste.
I had a really hard time trying to figure out what this meant. I think the foul dust definitely refers to the dream Gatsby has about wanting to live on the East Egg, and fit into the East Egg society. Even though Gatsby is wealthy and lives in this enormous mansion, he still lives on the West Egg, which is the least fashionable and wealthy of the two. I don’t think Gatsby would ever fit in on the East Egg. I think this foul dust also refers to Nick’s disapproval of Tom and Daisy’s actions and behaviors. Daisy clearly knows that Tom is cheating on her with a woman from New York, yet she still stays with him. They were brought up in well-respected families and are very wealthy. Daisy and Tom’s outward appearance of glamour and wealth sort of masks their depthless lives. Nick thinks they live their lives very immorally, but that doesn’t really stop him from seeing them anyway. I think that to Nick it was more important that he kept his friendship and association with these wealthy glamorous people than actually telling them how he saw them and their many imperfections. He neglects the faults of his friends just to sort of have the same status in society as they do. I think that this foul dust that preys on Gatsby has quite the effect on Nick as well. I think Gatsby has had many experiences in his past that may have caused this foul dust or cloud that hangs over him.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many deeper meanings found in just this one short sentence. I find that it’s easier first to dissect the second half of the sentence, “in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.” It basically states here that we are talking about the concern Nick has lost for the failure of men, and the fleeting joy that they may enjoy. The abortive sorrows could be the failures through life people fight through while the short-winded elations may represent the moments in life we live for, where we are truly happy for a minute. The minute where everything is going right for once, the moment you feel that you can do anything again.So if this concern is gone might it mean that Nick doesn't feel that he himself can feel happiness anymore? Going back to the beginning of the sentence explains more into this saying “…it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest…” There are so many things that the foul dust could represent. They could represent the society in which they lived, the immorality of it all. The drinking and sex that filled the minds of many of the time could be what brought him down. The foul dust could also be corruptive people surrounding them, or maybe even the wealth that they feel they must attain to live a lifestyle they see appropriate. But what is this dream? We know it is Gatsby's, a rich man who flaunts his wealth with a mansion, but is it maybe a different wealth that he wants or does he want more riches. Gatsby does live in West Egg which is the lower of two classes yet what he has is significant either way, not many could attain that wealth in that time period. Then again maybe it’s the green light he trembles toward, is that a dream unseen? His dream remains mysterious for now but the rest of what he says can be translated loosely at the moment and only the book can unfold its secrets.
ReplyDeleteThe foul dust that Nick Carraway mentions in the above passage could be referring to the dark secrets that accompany many people’s past. This could be especially true with Gatsby, as he seems to be surrounded by an aura of mystery and excitement. Since Nick appears to know very little about Gatsby’s past, it is possible that in order to achieve success he participated in some unlawful activity. By comparing these deeds to dust, it supports the idea that unless you shine a light on them, the deeds stay hidden behind a false portrayal of accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Gatsby represents to Nick the results of short-lived dreams. While it is not clear exactly how Gatsby obtained his money, the reader can be fairly certain that it was recently acquired. Despite his wealth, Gatsby seems to be longing for something more, perhaps even something unattainable. It is possible that Nick will realize how futile it is to chase after only money, at the cost of leaving behind your moral standards. It appears that he is lost in this new territory, one without purpose or discretion.
It is clear from the quote on page 2, “Only Gatsby…was exempt from my reaction-Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn.” that Nick was deeply affected by Gatsby. While Nick appears to hold men to high moral principles, he makes an exception for Gatsby. This suggests that he realizes there are some circumstances that could prevent a man from following his morals. Although he claims that Gatsby overcame these circumstances, perhaps he sees this as a warning that he might suffer a very different fate if he attempts to pursue great wealth. I believe that he is truly shocked at the way the wealthy are able to live such inconsequential lives and is not ready to let the same foul dust prey on him for the sake of wealth.
I won't lie this was a very confusing passage for me to understand. I believe it was talking about how after Gatsby had lived his life he looked back and it wasn't bad. He'd lived through trials or "foul dust" that still haunt him to this day, but overall he's lived his life the way he felt right. I also think this passage may refer to his life style. Gatsby is a great and rich man who has everything he needs or wants. I think the short-winded elations refers to all the small things that many people worry about that really don't matter. Many people worry about having a nice house or the best car, but in the end it really doesnt matter. Yet, Gatsby must be a deeper man since he also touches on the topic of abortive sorrows. I think that means that in his life he has suffered some hard times. I don't know exactly what he may have expirienced, but whatever it is it still haunts him. I also think it was clever that the passage says it haunts him in his dreams. It could have said it haunts him all the time, but it didn't. I feel like it means that whenever he is alone all the problems of his life creep up on him. Maybe that's the reason he holds parties all the time or surrounds himself with many material things. This short little passage reveals a lot about Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteum thats lindsay kranick...somehow my old e-mails being used as my name..I hate computers
ReplyDeleteThis passage appears to be a strong foreshadowing of the events that will befall Gatsby later in the book. The first part of the sentence could be interpreted as Nick saying that he eventually comes to like Gatsby as a person, whatever events might befall him. The second part of the sentence seems to be saying that the future events of Gatsby’s life affect Nick in some profound way. The foul dust would most likely be some kind of unfortunate series of event that will happen to the somewhat mysterious Gatsby. From my skills of deduction I will guess that Gatsby will become involved with Nick’s cousin Daisy, which will lead to major conflict. Also, by skills of deduction I mean reading the back of the book. Going along with this assumption I would predict that the character of Tom would be involved with this foul dust. So far in the story Tom has been shown as an arrogant and violent man who should be liked and trusted by no one. This would lead to the conclusion that if Gatsby becomes involved with Daisy, that Tom will become a major problem in Gatsby’s life as a perfectly detestable antagonist. This resulting situation would put Nick squarely in the middle of a very awkward and potentially life changing quandary. Another element of the story that could be foreshadowed by this passage is a falling out of the upper class society by Gatsby. It just seems to me that this society is based on superficiality, and in no way based on loyalty, which means it could easily turn on a person. In conclusion this passage sets up the book to become an interesting look into the life of a man whose world is going to be covered in some kind of foul dust.
ReplyDeleteThis short excerpt was an incredibly difficult one for me to understand, but i believe that this so called "foul dust" that floats in his dreams are slight little worries that are microscopic in relation to other things going on in his life. It's hard to get an idea of what this refers to because we know little to nothing about Gatsby so far in the book. From this passage, I get the impression that Gatsby was a "rags to riches" type of man and the aforementioned dust is simply his past and the problems that come along with it. Since Gatsby does reside in West Egg, his place of living shows that he was not always rich, but this wealth is new to him. The main character, Nick, Is very interest in Gatsby. But this dust hinders his interest in his fellow neighbor. The second part of this quote I believe, is about people who are wealthy much like Gatsby, but much less interesting and entertaining. The set of words "short-winded elations of men" is very interesting. I think this is how Nick would describe the other,less exuberant Gatsby's in the world, the ones that live in East Egg. These people seem very life-less and have very short lived excitement at different intervals in their life. They seem like they have been wealthy their whole life and inherited money while working the same job as their fathers did, almost like a family business. These men don't fully understand what it means to work for something and have it pay off. These abortive sorrows that he also talks about seem like feelings of self pity these wealthy men have. Since they have no idea of how happy they could live their life, they get stuck in a slump of feeling sorry for themselves, something that Gatsby probably has never felt before.
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that Nick Carraway has grown quite fond of Gatsby. He even goes as far as to say there is “something gorgeous about him”. I think the “foul dust” is something that clouds both Nick’s and Gatsby’s thoughts. For Gatsby, I think this so-called foul dust could be his wealth. He lives in West Egg, the less wealthy of the two “Eggs”, but I feel that he longs to be a part of the East Egg. I feel that he is an extremely materialistic person, but I feel that Nick doesn’t agree with Gatsby’s tangible desires. Nick has money to his name, but chooses to live in the smaller, more modest home next to Gatsby’s enormous mansion. Gatsby throws elaborate parties, and Nick becomes bothered by his lack of modesty and turns him away. I believe that Gatsby wants to be accepted by the wealthy men living in the East Egg, but I feel that this is unattainable for him.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this foul dust could also represent Nick’s disapproval of Tom and Daisy’s behavior. Tom cheats on his wife with a wealthy woman from New York, which Daisy is obviously aware of, and neither one attempt to hide it. Daisy stays with Tom even though he has clearly committed adultery. Nick thinks that this is immoral and wrong, but makes no attempt to remove them form his life. I feel that he wants to be accepted by this couple because they were raise by wealthy, respected families and he wants to fit in with this part of society. I don’t think that he is materialistic, I think he is just longing for acceptance.
I think that this foul dust could also be somewhat of an obstacle for Gatsby, which in turn affects Nick. I think that this could be hinting at some kind of conflict that will come up later on in the novel.
It took me awhile to figure this quote out. What I get from it is that Nick greatly admires the mysterious figure Gatsby. It seemed to take him awhile to realize this though, seeing how he said “Gatsby turned out all right at the end”. We see that Nick seems to appreciate Gatsby when he says “was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life”. What I get from the quote is that he gives Gatsby more credit than the rest of the human race. The “foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams” seems to mean the bad influences of people that Gatsby has been able to overcome. An example of this in Nick’s life is his cousin Daisy and her husband. She knows he has a mistress yet does nothing about it. Tom does little to hide the fact as well; and Myrtle has a husband as well but sneaks around behind his back. Nick seems to think the evils and temptations that plague everyone had almost got Gatsby. When Nick talks about this I think he mainly means the wealthy people, the people that he is surrounded by every day. Most of these people have terrible characters that do not in any way reflect the families in which they were brought up in. Nick seems amazed that Gatsby is any different from the other people whom Nick disapproves of, seeing how is very wealthy like the others. The “abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men” to me refers to the wrong doing and guilty feeling of men and women. Whatever goes on with Gatsby throughout the book clearly seems to affect Nick. He loses his faith in people; I don’t know whether he ever had faith or not. I think because of this statement Nick will soon regain his faith in mankind by the end of the book. Gatsby seems to shows him how good people can be.
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