Great Gatsby Ch. 7-9

-What makes Nick, rather than any other character, a more effective narrator?
Nick is a more effective narrator because not only does he have connections to all the characters, but he learns about Gatsby and all the infidelities the same time the reader does. He tells the story as it was happening around him, which made it easier for the reader to picture the scene and be more apart of the book. We as the audience could almost, to some extent, live in the book though Nick.
-Why is it effective when Nick imagines that America was a goal for explorers, like Daisy was for Gatsby?
Nick imagines that the explores viewed America was this great goal for dreamers and explorers and how it was "too good to be true". He compares Daisy and Gatsby to this because, Gatsby has idealized Daisy to such a point that she will never be able to live up to his expectations. Gatsby has this dream of what his life with Daisy would/could be.
-What is the significance of using symbols, such as the Valley of Ashes or the green light at the end of the dock, in the book?
The significance of using symbols in the book is to, get the reader to think more about what is really going on in that time period. The Valley of Ashes is essentially the working class and how it isn't the most ideal place to live and it is often looked down upon by the upper class, but it isn't the bottom of the bottom. The green light at the end of the dock is used to show how deeply Gatsby wants to be with Daisy but no matter how hard he tries, he never will have her.
-How does Gatsby embody the American dream?
Gatsby embodies the American dream because he is the success story of coming from little to nothing to this huge mansion with luxurious rooms that he doesn't use other than for parties. He goes from being a janitor to go to school, to being veteran and an "Oxford Man" living in New York with an envied house and fabulous parties. Gatsby does fall short in the American Dream because he doesn't feel satisfied. He has all this success and fortune, but he only truly wants Daisy.