The Great Gatsby: Theme & Key Quotes: Dissatisfaction

Theme: Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction Within Characters:

“I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others—young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.”: Nick Carrway’s dissatisfaction is encapsulated in this quote. Despite his many friendships and social connections, he struggles with a deep feeling of loneliness and existential angst.
“Her voice is full of money”, he said suddenly.: Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy is synonymous with his desire for wealth and status, illustrating his dissatisfaction with his socio-economic class. He believes that attaining Daisy — who herself is a symbol of wealth — will fill the void in his life.
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreat back into their money or their vast carelessness.”: Through this, Fitzgerald conveys the discontentment and recklessness exhibited by Tom and Daisy. Undeterred by their destructive behaviour, they disengage emotionally and retreat into their wealth.

Consequences of Dissatisfaction:

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”: The dissatisfaction with their present lives leads the characters towards their past. Gatsby’s attempt to resuscitate his past relationship with Daisy is an example of this incessant struggle against the current of time.
“I’m thirty, I said. I’m five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor.: This sentiment from Nick recognises the dissatisfaction within himself, triggering a crucial internal change. He decides to return back to Midwest, signaling the disillusionment with East.

Portrayal through Symbolism:

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”: The guests at Gatsby’s party are portrayed as transient, like moths, suggesting their own dissatisfaction and continuous search for fulfillment.
“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.”: The green light serves as a symbol of Gatsby’s aspiration and dissatisfaction with his current state. However, it is elusive and always remains just out of reach, emphasizing the futility of his pursuit.