It's important to note that these revelations about Gatsby are learned through Nick, who wasn't there to observe these final moments that Gatsby spent alive. Gatsby died moments later, so there is no confirmation that this is indeed what Gatsby was thinking about. You can really sense the hand of Nick's narration in shaping Gatsby's character for readers here.

That said, Nick imagines that in his final moments, Gatsby realizes that he's made an enormous mistake in chasing a dream that was never meant to be. He spent years shaping his life...

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