‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald

- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. -

When I first read The Great Gatsby I instantly fell in love with the writing style of F. Scott Fitzgerald. His intricate details on setting and characterisation throughout the narrative enable the delivery of the strong and significant set of morals at the end, which are emulated from Fitzgerald’s own experiences as a young man in the roaring 20’s. Since then, I have read the novel again and again, each time picking up on new hidden details and interpreting new meanings. This has become my favourite book to read due to all the different ways it can be interpreted and understood, so I wanted to recommend this novel to anyone who Is looking for something to read over the summer.

Set in 1922 but written by the protagonist Nick Carraway two years later in 1924, the novel starts with a strong opening to place the reader in the position of having the narrator confide in them, creating trust before retelling events:

‘In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my head ever since. Whenever you feel like criticising anyone,he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’ (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, p.1).

This opening statement establishes Nick as being trustworthy and honest through repeating lessons taught by his father growing up. However, the idea of the unreliable narrator has become a struggle between readers as everything we learn is filtered through Nick, with points in the novel being told to us as Nick feels is best for his retelling: ‘he told me all this very much later, but I’ve put it down here with the idea of exploding those first wild rumours…’ (The Great Gatsby, p.107).

As the novel develops, the reader becomes increasingly aware of the unreliability of the narrator which enables later events and consequences in the novel to be read with a different mind. The fact that Nick admits he is not telling all pieces of information in chronological order enables the reader to understand his flaws as a narrator and makes nick more relatable in terms of how most stories are retold.

The American Dream

The main narrative strand within the novel focuses on Jay Gatsby trying to win his love, Daisy Buchanan, back after being separated for five years. The theme of the unattainable American Dream is foregrounded through the reuniting of Gatsby and Daisy as it becomes apparent that Daisy could never live up to Gatsby’s expectations of her.

The American Dream is first depicted through the description of the Vally of Ashes at the beginning of chapter 2, where the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg brood on over the grey land. The positioning of the Valley of Ashes – situated between New York and West Egg – enables the idea of the carelessness of the rich, described through the materialistic society they thrive in, to reveal the consequences that the poor face on their behalf. An example of this is shown through George Wilson – a mechanic who lives in the Valley of Ashes. Wilson is the only character in the novel who compares the Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg to God: ‘… “but you can’t fool God!”. Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, …’ (The Great Gatsby, p. 170). The idea that Wilson, as a working-class man, can link the eyes to God to the idea that God is only looking over the Valley of Ashes instead of the corrupted city. Therefore leaving the poor to face the consequences of the rich and their careless actions.

The green Light

The American Dream is also symbolised through the connection between Gatsby and the green light at the end of daisy’s dock. For Gatsby, the green light represents his dreams of winning Daisy back, however, it’s just too far away to touch. The construction of the green light throughout the novel becomes an extended part of Gatsby, as even after his death Nick still links the two together as if they are one entity. The green light represents the idea of not giving up, even if your dreams seem unattainable because they you may have already surpassed them without realising.

‘Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.’ (The Great Gatsby, p.192)

I hope you enjoyed this recommendation and short insight into the novel. I’d love to know your opinions on the novel if you have already read it or decide to due to this post. So please leave comment below!

- Mary

---

References:

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Penguin Classics: London, 2010), p. 1-192