the great gatsby

the great gatsby by f.scott fitzgerald was first published in 1925 and is often considered the defining work of the 1920's. Young men all over America had sacrificed their lives in war that took place on another continent. Many of the men 'left over' from the war tried to submerge themselves in luxurious, extravagant material possessions to help them forget the deep emotional scars they had suffered. The innocent young men who went to fight during world war 1 came back broken and were often referred to as the 'lost generation'. 

the novel focusses hugely on money as the foundation of American society and the immigrants moving to the united states with the hope of abandoning their poverty ridden pasts and embracing the American Dream. 

this book was written from the point of view of Nick Carraway, a Yale man, who moves to Long Island to begin a new life and follows his journey over the summer of 1922 when he moves in next door to the irrepressible dreamer Jay Gatsby and is thrust into the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous. The story tells of how the American Dream started off being about the pursuit of happiness but how 'easy money' had corrupted the dream and it goes on to explain about Gatsby's desire to recreate the past as he sees the past as a better time than the one he is currently in. Jay Gatsby was one of those people who believed that if he had the money he could achieve his emotional fulfilment  and repeat the love he once was a part of. 

one of the most explored parts of the novel is the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. It represents Gatsby's dreams for the future and his hopes of regaining Daisy's love and acceptance through materialism. The colour green represents the money and the belief of many Americans; that money can solve any problem. 

'Gatsby believed in the green light' 

I honestly love this book, it must be my favourite book; every time I pick it up again I find something else to love and to think about. The portrayal of women in the 1920's fascinates me as they have a driving desire for success and they begin to become truly individual humans, with no need of a man to put them out there in the world. I love the flappers style too! 

Daisy's character intrigued me from the beginning; she has a strong desire for love yet didn't marry her true love, Gatsby. She is the object of Gatsby's limitless love yet didn't wait for him to return from war. I think her need to be loved is a feature of why she is so superficial and cynical. I was also interested by Daisy's character as she was so careless and attention-seeking, for example always using her looks to get young men's attention but often feels little moral responsibility for her actions. 

without giving too much away - the great gatsby is a heart wrenching tale of love and the harsh reality of the American Dream. I would strongly recommend this to anyone with a love of classics as it is a deep, meaningful novel and an important piece of literature. 

happy reading