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I can understand that sometimes a book is not agreeable to everybody who raeds it. To me, you seem to be a motivated and intelligent person. However it is not always wise to feed the more lazy parasites who will simple feed off of the work that you provide for them. As i already know, this is entirely your decision, but in order to gain a complete understanding and in order to learn how to analyse literature fully, people need to learn to do some of the work themselves.
The Great Gatsby was a Great book. Infact, the next time I pick the book up, I intend to read more than half a page if I don't get bored. I like the part where "Nick's" father tells him how people aren't as priviledged as him. And that's about as far as I got. My favorite character is Nick and my least favorite character is... Nick. He's the only one I know right now, but I'm working on it.
I think "The Great Gatsby" is one of the greatest books of all time, that potrays one of the greatest characters in American literature. I love every single words in the book..every single details. <br><br>I admire Gatsby..for his view of life, though clouded is always real. While the rest of them, 'the rotten crowd' are empty shells...that really never have a real purpose, nor will they ever find one.<br><br>I loved it. <br><br>Jay Gatsby is truly a great person.
"America was once a land meant fordreamers; now, the mindless pursuit of wealth has destroyed the American dream. Fitzgerald saw a society hurtling recklessly onward, without direction, unwilling to take responsibility for its actions; for him, this represented the annihilation of the very fabric of America." <br><br>A quote credited to O. Verma, isn't it excellent?!
I love the Great Gatsby and I've read the book about 3 times because of school and essays. I'm sorry but never in the 3 times that I read it did I see where Nick wakes up with a man... sorry maybe you're reading the X rated version! heehee just kidding. But really I have never seen that part. What I am interested in knowing is the answer to the following question:<br><br>Is Jay Gatsby a corrupt (given into bad influences, behaves badly and has twisted desires and morals) or innocent (simple, inexperienced and free of blame)?
Just to point out, those who are confused about nick waking up with a man are referencing to the end of chapter 2 where nick is in a drunken stupor and blacking out, and at one point he comes to for a second and the man who was taking pictures at myrtle's apartment is showing him his portfolio of pictures. The fact that the man is in bed is irrelevant. Besides, nick is standing next to the bed, not lying in it. The scene is just more support that people naturally open up to nick and are compelled to show him their problems, desires, etc.
Thank you for clearing up my question Anonymous on May 26th. The others that replied were of no help, and they concluded I meant a physical relationship between the two, and that is not what was implied.
Gatsby appears to be a combination of corruption and innocense. He makes his money off illegal influences, but is a pure heart for the love of Daisy, but again shows corruption by trying to take Daisy from Tom. So you really could argue in both directions, that Gatsby is a man of innocense(sp)but yet is corrupted by wealth and materialism.
uhh ello everyone..i read gatsby in english class...i don't get english words very good but i like gatsby very much so. i hope u like nick..he is good. i hope nick write more good book so i can read and expand my brain cells..thank you people
I don't think Gatsby was all about good intentions. It's the sayiing good people are bad people that don't get caught. Gatsby dealt with illegal issues. By not being exposed, he was seen as a perfect decent man. Overall he is a really good charcter, but he had another side that wasn't shown to often.
<b>Admin Response:</b> Illegal isn't always "bad" or immoral. At one time freeing a slave was illegal. If Gatsby was a bootlegger he was committing a victimless crime and so I don't think that makes him a bad person.
Many of Gatsby's parties were to cover up illegal meetings and keep everthing smooth. Like when that woman's dress was torn. he sent a new one right away, so not to casue interference with his business.
<b>Admin Response:</b> You really think so? I don't find any evidence in the text, of his parties being coverups. In fact I think that somewhere we are told that one of his reasons for having the parties was in hoping to become popular and eventually to bring Daisy to his doorstep.
I agree on the fact that illegal doesn't always mean corruption. I also agree that his parties were meant to bring Daisy to him. Maybe the parties were not meant to be a cover up. If you read into it enough, some things end up becomming realizations of possibilities, if you catch what I'm trying to say. Gatsby is a good man, making his way without causing others trouble.
I had to read The Great Gatsby for my Liturature class, and the story's good, but it's just Fitzgerald's style of writing that I have a problem with.
Some advice to the readers above who found this book boring, difficult to read, or just didn't understand it. If you don't become a very important person and can find the time, read it again in five to ten years. If you still feel the same way then you can honestly say that you haven't learned anything during the past five to ten years. Fitzgerald is one of the finest authors ever to have put words to paper. It's understandable why children writing book reports for school don't get him. His work is most appreciated by people who have lived a little (implying that they have also learned a little). But don't feel bad if you can't get anything out of his work. The latest issue of Spiderman is currently on the shelves.
I hated this book. I was supposed to read it for Advanced English in year 11, however i found the book so mind numbingly boring that i couldn't bring myself to read the entire thing. For anyone unfortunate enough to be assigned this book, i suggest you watch the movie, and use the quotes from it. The only quote you MUST NOT USE is "rich girls don't marry poor boys" this will give away that you were going from the movie as it was not in the book. I'll write a few very useful quotes for people like me who couldn't bring themselves to read the whole book. " I hate careless people"-Jordan. ""she laughed with thrilling scorn"-Nick says of Daisy. "I hope she'll be a fool- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, i beautiful little fool"-Daisy. "They were careless people Tom and Daisy, they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money, or carelessness, or what ever it was that kept them together. And let other people clean up the mess they had made" -Nick. "It's what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dream"-Nick. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year precedes before us"-Nick I hope these few quotes help people, i'll check back and if anyone wants me to, i'll post some more.
What is so great about Gatsby? why is it called the Great Gatsby? "'They're a rotten crowd,' I shouted across the lawn. 'You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.'" Is it only through nick's point of view that gatsby is great, or is he really great? cuz i dont see any particular quality that makes him great. I need help, not getting this book. I can see it's a great book, from all the comments, but i just dont think it's a book for high school students.
American Dream is not just to do with wealth, it is also raising it's own level or class in society. These are what Jay Gatsby wanted to do to show Daisy that he is rich. He attains the American Dream, but not the dream of marrying Daisy because she is above his class. He joins the army and become an officer to create an image of himself that he is a hero. While he is in the army, he meets a arrogant nurse named Daisy. He falls in love with her and she promises to married her before he went for war. In the stages of Jay Gatsby¡¦s life, he meets people, such as Dan Cody and Meyer Wolfeshine who help him to accomplish his dreams. After of being wealthy, Jay has always wanted to win Daisy back. He wants to show her that he is as rich as Tom(Daisy¡¦s husband). Because of this Jay buys a house in the shore of West Egg so he could see her far away in the shore of East Egg where Daisy lives. Accidentally, Nick Carraway, a cousin of Daisy live next to Jay Gatsby, sets them up to meet in his own house. <br> Jay and his parents have Poland blood, but his parents immigrate to United States and Jay is born and is raised in North Dakota As a child, Jay respects his parents highly even though he live in a poverty home. His parents give him rules and it is written on the back cover of the book called Hopalong Cassidy. ¡§ No wasting time at Shafters...[a name, indecipherable]......Be better to parents¡¨.(Pg.164). At the age of seventeen, Gatsby skips home. He moves to Southern Minnesota where he went to the small Lutheran College of St Olaf¡¦s and stayed there two weeks. During his stay two weeks in Minnesota, he works as a janitor where he pays all his tuition.<br> A fifty-year old millionaire man named Dan Cody steps into Jay¡¦s life when Gatsby sees Dan¡¦s yacht drop anchor on Lake Superior. Dan inherit all his money from the successful Yukon gold rush since 1875 and the transactions in Montana copper that make him multi-millionaire. It is the newspaper woman named Ella Kaye who sent him to Little Girl Bay where he meets James Gatz. To Gatsby, the yacht Cody owns represent all the beauty and glamour in the world and this is what he desires. Jay is employed to be his personnel or even jailor because Dan is a heavy drinker and he needs Jay to protect him. They have been together for five years Gatsby wants to fill his life with status symbols where he could show the world he is wealthy. For this reason, Dan is the one responsible for creating Gatsby. Gatsby and Dan both wants to be admired by everyone.<br> Jay Gatsby volunteer to join the military. The reason why Jay choose to be an officer instead of a soldier because he thinks he is high class gentleman. He also want to show everyone after war that he is a gentleman and a war hero. It is a opportunity for Jay to win glory to raise himself in the eyes of others. During his service as a officer, he meets a luxury, grace, and charm woman named Daisy. Daisy was a nurse working for the United States. Gatsby immediately falls in love with Daisy and lies to her about his own background in order to convince her that he is good enough for her since Daisy only love wealthy people Gatsby is called in duty to serve in the World War I by the United States. For this reason, Gatsby makes love to Daisy the day before serving as an officer in World War I. Daisy promised to wait for him. However, Daisy in a deep need to be loved, and when a wealthy, powerful high classed, young man named Tom Buchanan asked her to marry him, Daisy decided not to wait for Gatsby and married Tom because Tom is wealthier. Leaving for war, Gatsby know that he has to get wealthy to be together with Daisy again.
<br> I read "The Great Gatsby" in 2 days and found it to be the best book I have ever read! It is also the greatest book, which so perfectly illuminates the American life of 1920s, which are sometimes referred to the boom years, golden age, jazz age, age of flappers, etc. <br>To an extent I agree with all those saying that Gatsby is corrupted, however you have to remember that he is a product of the American Dream, a dream that implemented the idea of reinventing the past, re-establishing the identity and striving to the better life. His determination to win Daisy can be viewed, as heroic as he puts all his efforts to become the part of the elite society, owned old money, which she had. Though, I think, he failed to understand that the past couldn't be changed as well as the green light, Daisy, is not anymore the girl he used to love. The idea of love can also be questioned, as she embodied all those things he didn't have, and therefore can be viewed as a way of escaping from the reality. <br>From the point of view of history, I think that it is useful to understand the things, which were going on after the war in America, but from another prospect. Fitzgerald presented so clearly the "restless" American society with all the corruption and crimes, hidden in the determination to change the life, having no context knowledge about what will happen very soon- a recession and decline of America.<br>
I feel Fitzgerald was trying to show that money can buy happiness but only for a little while. That in the end money doesn't matter. But it's obvious money did get Daisy's attention only to cause distruction. I wonder if Fitzgerald was going through his alcohol problem while writing the great gatsby because of Gatsby's secret illegal buisness affairs, and the unique simularity between the fictional gatsby and Fitzgerald himself.
This may be the wrong way to comment on a classic book, but I found The Great Gatsby intriguing because it had a similar feel to the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley. Not as sinister as that film, obviously, but a similar subject: wanton and indulgent lifestyles of the rich from the early part of the century, and someone from humble beginnings seeking to be part of that society who is not quite who he seems to be. That in itself I found fascinating enough, in addition to the themes that have made it a great work.
The Great Gatsby is a classic book. It has well developed characters and intricate plotlines that make this a dynamic and exceptional book. Gatsby is a perfect example of Tillichs philosophy of " The Ultimate Concern" He has all the riches he could want (regardless of how he acquired them) and still he is only concerned with Having Daisy. That is his ultimate concern he could lose everything except the propensity of one day having Daisy as his own. When this is tested Gatsby proves true by taking blame for killing Myrtle. He could not have the image of Daisy altered in anyway even if it meant he would lose his life. Historically it is also a grand view into the carelessness of the era. The scene where the two men crash the car and continue to walk on and treat the accident casually is a prime example. It is a fabulous book and not only should you read this for class but as a personal read as well. If you have anything it should be respect for the literature, even if you don't like it. Not everyone has the intelligence nor the literary insight neccessary to appreciate a fine piece such as this. To those of you who do Kudos, for those of you who don't, well there's always nickolodeon you should try that.
As a first time reader of the Great Gatsby, I realise that my opinion simply scratches the thin film that confines the contents of this book. Scott Fitzgerald's writting style is incredible, when describing the industrial wasteland, i.e. "The Valley of Ashes" Fitzgerald writes: "Occasionaly a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenerable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight." (p. 27) Eyes can't help but sting when reading this quote, the ash is so vividly described that a mistical haze of grey consumes my orbital sockets.
Personally I found this text rather boring, perhaps this is because I couldn't emerse myself in the culture around it, I really don't care for the roaring twenties. I didn't mind the movie, and it helped to clarify quite a few points, so if your reading this book for an assesment or even for personal enjoyment, I really recommend the movie. My lit teacher says the second version is the best, but the latest is all i have seen and even that is really good.
I think that 'The great gatsby' is well written and revolutionary for the time in which it was written. I think that the constant exaggeration of Gatsby's character has both positive and negative uses.<br>
well, before i say anything to that book, i have to make clear: i HAD to read it - for school. the book is good, was boring as hell to read but by discussing it i get to know many things i did not recognize by reading it myself. i think it´s a typical "society put together in one room" - most of the time. the characters act streotyped, some, like daisy, are a mystery-as-can-be to me and others just watch without looking behind the masquerades of the others. and that´s what makes bad things happen in society, isn´t it? none of them has enough courage to open themselves to allow the truth to come out. sad story. i´m looking forward to watch the movie, maybe some mysteries will become clear to me.
Aside from being about the American Dream, I feel that The Great Gatsby also represents Fitzgeralds views on spiritual (moral) laws and society and this relates to Fitzgeralds upbringing. He believed that you could only gain security and the "sublime" if you were wealthy, but not if u were poor. Therefore the society he lived in was based on materialism. He took the issues from the 20's and permiated The Great Gatsby with them.<br><br>Gatsby was poor but by gaining money in a "dark" way he collected material possessions so he could win Daisy back. This back fired showing that you can't repeat the past and that money doent always make you happy.<br>The rich imagery throughout the text was the most enjoyable thing for me in the novel and the way that locations and objects had symbolic meanings such as The Valley of Ashes living up to its "deathly" name and the clocks that permantly appear throughout the book. Overall a very thought provoking novel.<br><br><br>
I thought TTG is one of the most honest, most realistic novel that describes society. Those of you that didn't enjoy the book, may have their reasons, but face it, this story summed up how people really are. Gatsby was the most intreging character of the book, he was so in love with Daisy, and did everything in his free will to get her. That doesn't mean that getting rich illegally is ok, but the fact that he did that all for Daisy's love makes him so unselfish, and cowardless. He and Nick are the only characters in the book who actually know what's up. As for the others, they just portray the lives of most people today. Selfishness, envy, sloth, these are just a few immoral traits that make up people's true selves.
I am a highschool student in Texas. We read the novel The Great Gatsby. I think that it was a really good book. We had to do a 500 word essay on the novel and that was a little tuff because we had to have quotes from the book and had to write the page numbers in with it. But other than that it was pretty awesome!
i think the great gatsby is a fantastic book, fantasically written. and daisy isnt as bad as everyone makes out.
<br>The first time i read this book it was very confusing and hard for me to understand so i decided to read it again. it is really a pointless story but it ws ok. i had to take a test on it and i bet anyone that i fail because it was a really confusing book. i would only recommend this book to people who absolutly LOVE to read and are REALLY SMART! i would only rate this book a 45 out of 100 possible points.
At first i didnt understand the book because i wasnt into reading it in the first place, but then i started to take the test and freaked so i read it again. the second time i read it i thought that it was really interesting. i enjoyed t and got a much higher grade. i agree with most of these comments, however i thought that Gatsby was a good and bad guy. He thought that Daisy loved him enough to leave Tom but i knew there was a slim chance in that happening in the first place. He should of come home a soon as possible instead of waiting and then it being to late. i didnt like the character Tom at all because he was "wishy-washy" He was having his own affair and then when he found out about Daisys affair he freaked i mean he acts like it is ok to do it himself but then when someone else does it, it isnt at all. Even though i liked Daisy i thought that she was a snob. She acted like the world evolved around her and just to let her know it didnt. My favorite character was Jordan she was athletic, kind , and told the truth to everyone. i havnt watched the movie but i intead to after reading these reviews.
i dont think that you can fully appreciate The Great Gatsby after reading it just once. I am studying it for A level english and the more times that i read the novel, and certain passages in particular, the tone and subtext of the book appears different. On first reading, it seems to bequite a nice book about a man that falls in love and a man having an affair etc, reading it a second time i didnt like it, it seemed dirty and tainted, for example the rape imagery when myrtle is killed, after 3 months of painstakingly reading and rereading it has left its mark as a book with a central theme of hope. A balance between the fairy tale of the first reading and the shock of the second.
Before starting to read this wonderful book we have to bear in mind one very important thing which is crucial for understanding the whole novel. Fitzgerald belonged to the so-called "Lost Generation" group of writers a name originally given by Getrude Stein (a French feminist). If we take this into consideration no wonder he writes about his disillusion in the American dream and all that it embodies.
yea i say Gatsby was a good man but with terrible intentions... For one thing his obsession with Daisy is just the BIGGEst problem he had.. Y would he even have an obsession with this girl ....throughout the whole book she was nothing but self centered and a rich snob..she never cared about anyone or her actions really...but in all gatsby has done nothing "illegal" that i can think of that can be classified as evil or make him an antagonists...I think Gatsby was a good man except for the draw back of daisy.. Although he probably wouldnt of never made it in his position in society if it werent for his love for Daisy...<br>BUt yea this story made me very dissapointed in that it showed how these people were ...and how they just disregarded the whole situation after Gatsby died....No one even went to the funeral except for a few..thats just terribly wrong..In society today i suppose people are still like this but if i ever meet them i'll know what they are truly like
its a damn shame that people cant understand beautiful language for what it is. theres two ways to say things: the bland simple straight to the point and the poetic way. fitzgerald chooses to be poetic. instead of quabbling over the fact that you only want to find the themes for papers and classes just read the god damn book. youll like it better if you just read it and dont fuss that it takes a while to get through because fitzgerald writes more from the romantic style than a simpler style
Mr. F represents the lost generation of the 1920's with Mr. Hemingway, obviously very different from Hemingway's style and techniques. TGG is the one of the representative works which reflect the social system and its incongruousness, in which Gatsby is doomed to follow the false American Dreams. To say the least, the American Dreams does not come from hoarding the material goods as already mentioned by several contributors to this comments. This literary masterpiece shows more than history books. That is how I see TGG.
"This book real[l]y sucks" Hummph. Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but it sounds to me like you didn't give the book a chance to begin with. Perhaps you were to busy hating your English class too much to enjoy a book assigned by the instructor? I have plenty of friends who have done that before. They then watched the movie three years later and found they really enjoyed the story. You write about the book as an immature 10th grader would. Or perhaps you really do hate the book with a passion? What exactly did you hate though? The ending? Rich people? Not enough sex? I'm sure someone reading your review would like to know exactly what made the novel, "crapy".
At first read TGG was EXTREMELY boring particularly chp 1. Gradual studying of each chapter in brief I have found the book to be quite enthralling. Fitzgerald's portrayal of America in the 1920s and how it is today is almost identical. The extravagance, waste and arrogance of the rich is typical of American high-fliers. After reading the book I thought what a cold cow Daisy is and for all Tom's arrogance, thuggery and ill-treatment of the women in his life he is not as bad as Daisy. For heavens sake Gatsby was killed because of her and she could not even honour his memory by attending his funeral. She retreated back into her safe, little, rich, pretentious world as if Gatsby never even existed. Sometimes women are worst then men Daisy a classic example of this.
The many themes of The Great Gatsby seem to make this book, not to sound cheesy, the "Great American Novel." They reflect society's views about life. If you have ever asked someone why we study history, they say so that history doesn't repeat itself. Gatsby wants to repeat the past, but he can't. Also, the theme that illustrates the failure of the American Dream. Gatsby's American dream was Daisy, and of course, he doesn't get the girl. Myrtle wished to be of a greater status, and she never achieved that dream. Now I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but not all dreams come true. Some do, some don't. The book also illustrates our society's view of class status. The two Eggs separte the new rich from the "old money."
Ok, call me shallow, but in my opinion this book was about nothing! i mean it was so hard to follow. <br>