Book report: The Great Gatsby

1. Book Introduction

The Great Gatsby is a novellas written by American author Francis Scott Fitzgerald in ty1925. Its background is set in the upper class in modern American society in New York and Long Island in the 1920s. The publication of the book has established the status of Francis Scott Fitzgerald in modern American literature history. He became the spokesman of the Jazz Age and the representative writer of the Lost Generation.  At the end of 20 century, the American academic authority has selected 100 most fabulous novels in the English literatures and The Great Gatsby distinguished itself at the second place, which means it is also a classic work nowadays.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is, at first sight, a novel about love, idealism and disillusionment. However, it soon reveals its hidden depths and enigmas. What is the significance of the strange "waste land" between West Egg and New York, where Myrtle Wilson meets her death, an alien landscape presided over by the eyes of T J Eckleburg whose eyes, like God's, "see everything"? And what are we to make of the novel's unobtrusive symbolism (the green light, the color of American dollar bills, which burns at the end of Daisy's dock, the references to the elements - land, sea and earth - over which Gatsby claims mastery, the contrast between "East" and "West"), or its subtle use of the personalized first narrator, the unassuming Nick Carraway?

2. Generalization

The main events of the novel take place in the summer of 1922.Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate and World War I veteran from the Midwest —who serves as  the novel's narrator — takes a job in New York as a bond salesman. He rents a small house on Long Island, I n the (fictional) village of West Egg, next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who holds extravagant parties .Nick drives around the bay to East Egg for dinner at the home of his cousin, Daisy Buchanan ,and her husband, Tom, a college acquaintance of Nick's. They introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, an attractive ,cynical young golfer with whom Nick begins a romantic relationship. She reveals to Nick that Tom has a mistress , Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the "valley of ashes":an industrial dumping ground between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this revelation ,Nick travels to New York City with Tom and Myrtle to an apartment they keep for their affair. At the apartment, a vulgar and bizarre party ends with Tom breaking Myrtle's nose after she taunts Tom about Daisy.

　　As the summer progresses ,Nick eventually receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. Nick encounters Jordan Baker at the party, and they meet Gatsby himself, an aloof and surprisingly young man who recognizes Nick from their same division in the war. Through Jordan, Nick later learns that Gatsby knew Daisy from a romantic encounter in 1917 and is deeply in love with her .He spends many nights staring at the green light at the end of her dock ,across the bay from his mansion, hoping to one day rekindle their lost romance. Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and wild parties are an attempt to impress Daisy in the hopes that she will one day appear again at Gatsby's doorstep. Gatsby now wants Nick to arrange a reunion between himself and Daisy. Nick invites Daisy to have tea at his house ,without telling her that Gatsby will also be there. After an initially awkward reunion, Gatsby and Daisy reestablish their connection. They begin an affair and ,after a short time, Tom grows increasingly suspicious of his wife's relationship with Gatsby. At a luncheon at the Buchanans' house ,Gatsby stares at Daisy with such undisguised passion that Tom realizes Gatsby is in love with her. Though Tom is himself involved in an extramarital affair, he is outraged by his wife's infidelity. He forces the group to drive into New York City, where he confronts Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza Hotel. Tom asserts that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could never understand .In addition to that, he announces to his wife that Gatsby is a criminal whose fortune comes from bootlegging alcohol and other illegal activities. Daisy realizes that her allegiance is to Tom ,and Tom contemptuously sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, attempting to prove that Gatsby cannot hurt him.

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　　When Nick, Jordan, and Tom drive through the valley of ashes .However, they discover that Gatsby's car has struck and killed Myrtle, Tom's lover. Nick later learns from Gatsby that Daisy was driving the car at the time of the accident, but that Gatsby intends to take the blame. The next day, Tom tells Myrtle's husband, George ,that Gatsby was the driver of the car. George, who has leapt to the conclusion that the driver of the car that killed Myrtle must have been her lover, tracks Gatsby to his mansion and fatally shoots both Gatsby and then himself. Nick then stages an upsettingly small funeral for Gatsby, ends his relationship with Jordan, and moves back to the Midwest disillusioned with the Eastern lifestyle.

( Reference: http://www.zybang.com/question/83f930897bb05e3c2854fce3cb6381c4.html)

3. Book review

The novel described for the 20's through the perfect artistic form to sell "the American dream" which liquor nouveau riche Gates compared pursues vanishing, has promulgated the American society's tragedy. Gates and bids good-bye compared to and the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red love originally is the very ordinary love story. But the author makes a masterly opening move, compared to the girl which is in love treats as Gates the youth, the money and the status symbol, treats as * the method pursue wealthy material life "the American dream". Gates compares in order to pursue the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red to exhaust own sentiment and the ability and wisdom, finally ruined own life. He naively thought that, Had the money to be able to revive an old dream, redeems the love which lost. He was what a pity wrong. He looked at mistakenly black eyebrow coloring alizarin red this vulgar superficial woman. He looked at mistakenly on the surface the debauchery but the spiritual sky empty bored society. He lives in the illusion, is gotten rid by the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red, is desolate for the society, finally has cast the tragedy which is unable to recall. The Gates ratio is the 20's models American youth. His bitter experience is precisely the happy song smiles the dance "knight the time" the portrayal. The author has designed for the novel "the dual leading character" Nick the Carrow prestige. His importance is not inferior to the leading character Gates ratio in many aspects. He not only is the story narration and commentary, also is in the novel a important personage. He both is having the very complicated relations with contradictory both sides. He is Gates compared to neighbor and friend, also is the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red cousin, Tom's schoolmate, but also is being in love black eyebrow coloring alizarin red good friend Jordan. He acted as Gates to compare after the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red distinguishes the go-between which 5 years remet, the sympathy which also became which the Gates ratio to revive an old dream the criticism and he suffers kills. He although advances into to the Long Island luxurious residential district, but he already is not "wilderness time" which Tom represents inner world citizen, also is not worships blindly the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red which Gates compares represents to be separated from the reality the illusion world fellow traveler. He represents the American mid-west the traditional ideas and the moral criterion. He happiness illusion which loses compared to the pursue has many critical criticisms regarding Gates, regarding was fastidious the semblance but innermost feelings vulgar Tom and the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red has carried on fair whipping. After Gates compared to dies, former days guest did not make an appearance, the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red accompanied the husband to depart by far, Nick pertinent had pointed out society's false and the heartlessness, caused the reader compared to the American dream necessity which pursued to be disillusioned regarding Gates had the profound impression.

Gatsby is the typical American youth in the twenties. Experience of him whether joyous song smile at portrayal in" knight's times" of dance. Sweetheart Daisy of one's early years such as Gatsby marry rich and life dissolute Tom. For win Daisy, by buy to sell he wine accumulate first a large sum of wealth again He thought innocently : Can revive an old dream after having money, redeem the lost love .But he fails to gain Daisy's heart finally, has exhausted one's own emotion and ability and intelligence in order to pursue Daisy, Ruin one's own life finally. The illusion that Gatsby revived an old dream has gone forever. The author composes a chilly and disappointed sad melody with the multicolored note, leave somebody limitless thinking.

It is a novel which has intrigued and fascinated readers. Clearly, as a self-proclaimed "tale of the West", it is exploring questions about America and what it means to be American. In this sense Gatsby is perhaps that legendary opus, the "Great American Novel", following in the footsteps of works such as Moby Dick and Huckleberry Finn.

 We will return to this aspect of the novel in more detail later on. However, we also need to be aware that it is a novel which has much to be say about more abstract questions to do with faith, belief and illusion. Although rooted in the "Jazz Age" which Fitzgerald is so often credited with naming, it is also a novel which should be considered alongside works like The Waste Land, exploring that "hollowness at the heart of things" which lies just below the surface of modern life.

 Eliot himself remarked that the novel "interested and excited me more than any new novel I have seen, either English or American, for a number of years". Viewed from more distant perspectives it is possible to see Gatsby as a tragic figure, the epitome of idealism and innocence which strives for order, purpose and meaning in a chaotic and hostile world. In this sense Gatsby contains religious and metaphysical dimensions: the young man who shapes a "Platonic vision of himself" and who endows the worthless figure of Daisy with religious essence, eventually passes away into nothingness, with few at the funeral to lament the passing of his romantic dream.

Gates and bids good-bye compared to and the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red love originally is the very ordinary love story. But the author makes a masterly opening move, compared to the girl which is in love treats as Gates the youth, the money and the status symbol, treats as * the method pursue wealthy material life "the American dream". Gates compares in order to pursue the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red to exhaust own sentiment and the ability and wisdom, finally ruined own life. He naively thought that, Had the money to be able to revive an old dream, redeems the love which lost. He was what a pity wrong. He looked at mistakenly black eyebrow coloring alizarin red this vulgar superficial woman. He looked at mistakenly on the surface the debauchery but the spiritual sky empty bored society. He lives in the illusion, is gotten rid by the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red, is desolate for the society, finally has cast the tragedy which is unable to recall. The Gates ratio is the 20's models American youth. His bitter experience is precisely the happy song smiles the dance "knight the time" the portrayal. The author has designed for the novel "the dual leading character" Nick the Carrow prestige. His importance is not inferior to the leading character Gates ratio in many aspects. He not only is the story narration and commentary, also is in the novel a important personage. He both is having the very complicated relations with contradictory both sides. He is Gates compared to neighbor and friend, also is the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red cousin, Tom's schoolmate, but also is being in love black eyebrow coloring alizarin red good friend Jordan. He acted as Gates to compare after the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red distinguishes the go-between which 5 years remet, the sympathy which also became which the Gates ratio to revive an old dream the criticism and he suffers kills. He although advances into to the Long Island luxurious residential district, but he already is not "wilderness time" which Tom represents inner world citizen, also is not worships blindly the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red which Gates compares represents to be separated from the reality the illusion world fellow traveller. He represents the American mid-west the traditional ideas and the moral criterion. He happiness illusion which loses compared to the pursue has many critical criticisms regarding Gates, regarding was fastidious the semblance but innermost feelings vulgar Tom and the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red has carried on fair whipping. After Gates compared to dies, former days guest did not make an appearance, the black eyebrow coloring alizarin red accompanied the husband to depart by far, Nick pertinent had pointed out society's false and the heartlessness, caused the reader compared to the American dream necessity which pursued to be disillusioned regarding Gates had the profound impression.

Here are some comments on the book by other writers and public houses:

…His finest novel, sensitive and symbolic treatment of themes of contemporary life related with irony and pathos to the legendry of the American dream.——《The Oxford Companion to American Literature》

...the first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James, because Fitzgerald depicted the extolled grandest and most boisterous, reckless and merry-making scene.——T．S．Elliot

American short-story writer and novelist famous for his depictions of the Jazz Age (the 1920s), his most brilliant novel being The Great Gatsby (1925). His private life ... in both America and France, became almost as celebrated as his novels.

——《Encyclopedia Britannica》

4. Thoughts

This semester I read The Great Gatsby, which gave me a lot of touches in love and American dream.

The book tells us the story of Gatsby by Nick’s tone. He rent a small house nearby Gatsby’s luxurious mansion where hold a grand banquet every weekend night .The character Gatsby is overwhelmed only one thing that he does not possess, that is to be loved. Gatsby and Daisy loved each other when Gatsby was young, but because of Gatsby’s poor family they were broken up. Then Gatsby was joined the First World War. While Daisy was married to Tom who was a rich dandy, but her marriage was not happy because Tom had a mistress. There was a lost love in Gatsby’s deep love. So he is overlooking the river green light in every night .The green light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is real and strong, and he can do everything to win Daisy. So he spent much money to hold the big party in order to attract Daisy’s attention .But in the end Daisy chose her husband not Gatsby. Because her husband is so rich that he can do everything he likes and he can also offer Daisy a better life, and finally wins Daisy’s love. The end of story is a tragedy that Daisy goes together with her husband to another city happily while Gatsby is murdered mistakenly.

People think that the American dream offers faith in the possibility of a better life , its attendant illusion is the belief that material wealth alone can bring that dream to fruition. As for Gatsby, the symbol of his final American Dream is to win the love of Daisy. Compared with them, Gatsby is the only hero living in the impulsive society. So please remember that material gain is only a fruit of freedom, not its root.

  We can see Gatsby’s deep love for Daisy everywhere in the book, but I don’t think that Gatsby is not that fascinated by Daisy herself, but he thinks he is fascinated by Daisy in his mind. Before he becomes wealthy, Daisy means his splendid history that being accepted by the upper class. The fantastic experience stimulates him to earn wealth by every mean, struggling to the upper class. Gradually, the image of Daisy is becoming larger and larger in his mind, becoming the support of his spirit, even after he has become successful. Daisy became all the goodness he longs for in his fantasy, the reason why he struggles in life.

The light Gatsby see from the seaside every day gives him power. He is invisible to other lights, just wants to struggle to the other side. However, the deep love from Gatsby is not understood by Daisy, who chases for earthly love and joy. At the beginning, Daisy thought she found her youth, when she was chased by many men and immersed herself in Gatsby’s love. But she then became doubtful between Tom and Gatsby. Maybe she loves them both, or neither of them. She just wants to enjoy the romance of being loved, but not undertake any responsibility or trouble or making annoying choices. She is the most important one in her world. Therefore, she did not stand out to tell the truth that she murdered the mistress of Tom and led to Gatsby’s death indirectly. Daisy may not be evil, but she is selfish and fearful.

The light is put out in the end and only dust is remained to cover the ground. But it does not matter because Gatsby will not be lit up by the light of the dusty world. And now, he is dancing on the dust, showing sympathy to the world. He is blinking with shiny lights, which only exits on those who have dreams.

I am deeply impressed by chapter 3, where a vivid description of a party is given. There were beautiful girls, drunk men, and boisterous crowds there, but none of them perceived the pointless of their life. They wasted their time and money and took an indifferent attitude towards life. They chased for temporary enjoyment but lost their identity and eternity, including Daisy and Tom. The other thing that impresses me much is the misleading of dreams. Some others like Gatsby, bravely pursued their dreams, yet going to a diverged way unconsciously. They might mix up the concept of a richer life and a happier life, viewing a higher social state and a peaceful fulfilled life as equality. Unfortunately, when they were busy chasing their dreams, everything changed with time. When they were anxious about the to-gets, they ignored what they had already and lost the alert to the constant changes. The excellent use of symbolization illustrates this idea perfectly. The imagination of “ green light”is the most important symbol which occurred three times in the novel. Then “green light’s”obscure in the mist indicates the dim of Gatsby’s dream.

As far as I am concerned, the story can serve us as a reminder. To live a meaningful life, we should carefully choose some dreams to pursue. At the process of fulfilling our dreams, we should always be conscious about what we really desire. Anyhow, only by pursuing the proper dreams can we finally get to the deep springs of happiness.

2016-01-04

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