“Let us learn to show our
friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”
Although
the context of this quote—Meyer Wolfsheim giving an excuse to avoid Gatsby’s
funeral—is rather negative, the quote standing alone holds an important message
that can be taken from the book and incorporated into our own lives. While much
of the book seems to be unrelatable, as it is told in a completely different time,
this quote is still applicable and relevant today and will always be. It stands
out since we tend to realize just how much we care about someone once they are
gone.
So,
why not show them friendship while it lasts? Death is often unpredictable. The deaths
of Gatsby, Myrtle, and Wilson in The Great
Gatsby were sudden and happened within the span of a moment, although vaguely
foreshadowed. For some reason, people are sometimes valued more in death than
in life. For example, paintings typically have a much higher value after the
one who painted them has passed away. Of course, this does not mean we should
forget a person when they are gone because their only value is during life. Gatsby
might have felt popular and loved during his lifetime but was almost completely
abandoned during his funeral, which was pretty depressing. There should be a balance. So, as Wolfsheim puts it, let us learn to show a person that they matter while they’re still
alive.
I really like the quote you chose and how you connected it to a painting. I also agree that we should show friendship for a person when they are alive. But, I also think that we should respect them after death too. And many characters in the book did not actually show friendship to Gatsby like he was alone during the parties and the funeral which is very sad and we all must learn a lesson from these incidents in the novel.
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