So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
This quote represents an important theme in the novel I’ve read, which is called “The Great Gatsby”. It was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. The novel takes place on Long Island, New York in the 1920s and is considered to be one of the greatest literary documents from this period.
The book is about a young man from Minnesota called Nick Carraway, who is also the narrator of the novel. Nick moves to New York in order to learn more about the bond business. He rents a small house in the West Egg district of Long Island. Nick’s next-door neighbour is the mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a gigantic mansion and is famous for arranging enormous parties.
The theme I find important in the novel is the pursuit of the American Dream.
Jay Gatsby grew up in poverty and grew up despising everything about it. He idolized the wealthy lifestyle and all he ever wanted was to be a part of it. During the time he served as a military officer before he left to fight in World War 1, he met and fell in love with a girl called Daisy. Contrary how Gatsby grew up, Daisy grew up in a wealthy family and she represented everything Gatsby could ever dream of - grace, money and luxury. Concerned about what Daisy would think about Gatsby if he told her the truth about him and his background, he lied to her. Whilst Gatsby was away for the war, Daisy married another man called Tom Buchanan, who had a similar background to her.
When Gatsby came back after the war and realised Daisy married Tom, his dream about winning Daisy back and the pursuit of the so called American Dream began. He started dedicating his whole life to earn money. He had to work hard to