The Great Gatsby
Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Born in 1896, died in 1940
During World War I, Fitzgerald in love with a rich and beautiful girl, Zelda Sayre. Zelda broke off their engagement because he was relatively poor.
He went to seek his literary fortune in New York City in order to marry her.
Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood himself became an alcoholic and died in the age of 44 as a movie screenwriter, believing himself a failure.
All his works received modest commercial or critical success during his lifetime.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a part of The Lost Generation
In The Great Gatsby, F. Fitzgerald shows many modernist techniques like loss of control, alienation, corruption of the American Dream, breaking society's rules and feeling restless
Plot Summary
The Great Gatsby is set during the Roaring Twenties, in 1922 and tells the story of Jay Gatsby and his pursuit of the woman named Daisy Buchanan. The narrator, Nick Carraway, a man who moves from the West to New York. He meets an eccentric, exceptionally wealthy neighbor named Jay Gatsby, and becomes embroiled in Gatsby's plan to rekindle his lost love with a woman named Daisy Buchanan, who happens to be Nick's cousin.
The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is involved in illegal activities, including bootlegging, selling liquor during prohibition. He makes big parties and eventually meets and begins an affair with his beloved Daisy. Daisy's husband, Tom, has an affair with a garage owner's wife, a woman named Myrtle Wilson. Driving home from New York, Daisy kills Myrtle while driving Gatsby's car. She is unaware that she has killed her husband's mistress and leaves the scene of the crime. Myrtle's husband is depressed and tries to find his wife's killer. Daisy's husband, Tom, directs him to Gatsby's house, where he shoots and kills Gatsby in his pool, and then himself. No one comes to Gatsby's funeral except Nick and a few servants, Daisy doesn’t come either.
Characters
Nick Carraway
A recent Yale graduate who moves to Long Island after getting a job as a salesman. He is relatively innocent and mild-mannered, compared to the elite among whom he lives.
Jay Gatsby
Jay Gatsby portrayed as a failed embodiment of the American dream: he was born poor and rose to achieve a higher wealth and social status. All of Gatsby's actions seem to be driven by that single-minded, even naive idea, love.
Daisy Buchanan
Beautiful, careless and rich, Daisy is innocent girl with no troubles to speak of, at least, that's how it seems on the surface. Daisy is , somewhat shallow and a little vain, but she's also charming and high-spirited.
Tom Buchanan
Tom is the brutal, arrogant, and wealthy husband of Daisy. He is a deeply unlikeable character for reasons including his careless infidelity, racist and sexist views.
My opinion about this book
I really liked The Great Gatsby. The theme of failed American dream and how chasing an unworthy dream will lead to tragedy is what really got me into this book. Characters are well written and not one-sided. I also really liked the aesthetic of this book, the jazz age and how Fitzgerald captured this historic period of the US, but despite this glamorous aesthetic the author shows the reader cruelty and injustice of the world. The ending is unpredictable and it’s like a gut punch but there is still a great aftertaste of sadness and reality.
2 great movie adaptations
The Great Gatsbly (2013)
The Great Gatsby (1974)