Is The Great Gatsby A Great Book Analysis
THE GREAT GATSBY IS GREAT
Written by Tadau Kolli - 1st of March 2016 Copies of Fitzgeralds most famous work can be found in most English classrooms around the world, and many students have read it during their high school years. It is seen as one of the great American classics. But why is this particular novel so special? Does it deserve its place amongst the famous books in English literature? Here is why the Great Gatsby is still a great novel.
First, let us take a look at the historical context. The story is set in the 1920s, a time of great extravagance, economic prosperity and loss of morals. The Great War had not even touched American soil - and with Europe in shambles, the economy flourished. People lived the day like there was no …show more content…
Throughout the story, people have wild parties, where alcohol is consumed liberally, infidelity occurs often and even violence takes place occasionally. Conventions were ignored, rules were broken and crazy things happened. This mindset was undoubtedly present in post-war America, and the Great Gatsby is a book that showcases it like no other. And it does not end there, at one point, Gatsby and Nick cross a bridge on their way to New York, and on the bridge they spot a limousine, with a white driver and ‘three modish negroes’, Nick then comments that now “Anything can happen”. This shows how unusual it was to see wealthy African-Americans in New York of the 1920s and it highlights the fact that society was rapidly changing. Women were also becoming more independent - every female character in the story has a strong will of her own, and some even revolt against men at some point in the plot. This was highly unusual for the time, and Fitzgerald still wrote about it, …show more content…
In the Great Gatsby, it is quietly criticised, and portrayed as a false hope that many people have. The most vivid example of this, can be found in the setting. Between the Eggs (where the wealthy reside) and New York City - sits the ‘Valley of Ashes’, a grim place where everything is a symbol of failed ambition. The billboard is aged, the garage is empty and its owner looks like a ghost. Everything points at the failure of the American Dream, and this is a theme that is still very relevant today. Ironically, Fitzgerald himself was apparently quite an ambitious man, and even though one of novels became hugely popular, he did not live to see it happen. He died young, after spending years as a depressed and alcoholic writer who struggled to pay the
Written by Tadau Kolli - 1st of March 2016 Copies of Fitzgeralds most famous work can be found in most English classrooms around the world, and many students have read it during their high school years. It is seen as one of the great American classics. But why is this particular novel so special? Does it deserve its place amongst the famous books in English literature? Here is why the Great Gatsby is still a great novel.
First, let us take a look at the historical context. The story is set in the 1920s, a time of great extravagance, economic prosperity and loss of morals. The Great War had not even touched American soil - and with Europe in shambles, the economy flourished. People lived the day like there was no …show more content…
Throughout the story, people have wild parties, where alcohol is consumed liberally, infidelity occurs often and even violence takes place occasionally. Conventions were ignored, rules were broken and crazy things happened. This mindset was undoubtedly present in post-war America, and the Great Gatsby is a book that showcases it like no other. And it does not end there, at one point, Gatsby and Nick cross a bridge on their way to New York, and on the bridge they spot a limousine, with a white driver and ‘three modish negroes’, Nick then comments that now “Anything can happen”. This shows how unusual it was to see wealthy African-Americans in New York of the 1920s and it highlights the fact that society was rapidly changing. Women were also becoming more independent - every female character in the story has a strong will of her own, and some even revolt against men at some point in the plot. This was highly unusual for the time, and Fitzgerald still wrote about it, …show more content…
In the Great Gatsby, it is quietly criticised, and portrayed as a false hope that many people have. The most vivid example of this, can be found in the setting. Between the Eggs (where the wealthy reside) and New York City - sits the ‘Valley of Ashes’, a grim place where everything is a symbol of failed ambition. The billboard is aged, the garage is empty and its owner looks like a ghost. Everything points at the failure of the American Dream, and this is a theme that is still very relevant today. Ironically, Fitzgerald himself was apparently quite an ambitious man, and even though one of novels became hugely popular, he did not live to see it happen. He died young, after spending years as a depressed and alcoholic writer who struggled to pay the