The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a very intriguing book that I was actually very interested in. Most of the assigned novels at school only consist of history and different things, like rhetorical strategies, to learn about. Not only did this book have history and figurative language incorporated, it also had a great story and contained humor as well. My favorite parts of the book included humor about different characters and their acts. An example would be the description of Jordan Baker’s personality and her odd, unanticipated remarks. I also enjoyed how all of the characters were related in one way or another. Most of the characters, though, reflected back to Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby’s neighbor. Jay Gatsby was in love with Daisy, Nick’s cousin, but she was married to Tom. Instead of Gatsby asking Daisy to have lunch, he talks to Nick and arranges a meeting through him. Even though Nick is the narrator of the novel, as a character I think he is one of the most important. At the end of the book, a misfortune involving Gatsby occurs and I found it unique that he did not take his own life. Instead, Wilson takes his life with a single shot and no warning. Over all, I very much enjoyed the book and reading it in class. I encourage all high schools to teach this book and discuss it as a class; simply to be sure every detail is addressed so that every one can enjoy this book as much as possible.
I too was impressed with the author's satirical tone and general use of humor in illustrating his characters. However, I also found his critique of American societal values to be very convincing, and at some points, frightening. An important aspect of this novel is not the story itself, but the way it is taught. If one were to just read this novel on his or her own, much the satire and critical thinking placed within the novel could be missed, and thus, the reader may be left with a less than desirable impression of The Great Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Wickes