Commentary on The Great Gatsby Essay

I believe that The Great Gatsby was the most influential of the two books that we were to read. My reasoning behind this is simple: both the future and the past cannot be changed, but at least from the past, lessons can be learned. Although the future that Anthem lays on the table is intriguing, the way that F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel weaves together the perks and flaws of human nature as it correlates to the turbulent 1920s in America, is fantastic.

The main characters of The Great Gatsby are interesting and complex. First, there is Nick Carraway, who is both involved in and narrates the story. Although key to many events, Nick tends to assume a secondary role throughout the book. Also, the progression of inner conflict in this book is important when it comes to Nick, and his affair with the talented Jordan Baker reflects this. He is undeniably attracted to her sophistication, yet rebuffed by her dishonesty and lack of regard for others. Next is Daisy Buchanan, Nicks wealthy and beautiful cousin. Before Gatsby had gone off to war, he and Daisy had had an affair, which ended in Daisys promise to wait for Gatsby. Instead, Daisy marries Tom Buchanan, a wealthy aristocrat who can provide her with the lifestyle shes used to. Daisy represents the behavior of most of the people of East Egg, able to show affection, yet having little loyalty or care. Finally, the last main character of The Great Gatsby is Jay Gatsby himself. He is a young man who rose from an impoverished childhood to become fabulously wealthy through organized crime. Gatsby has a theatrical approach to living, which is an important part of his personality. His goal in this story is to win Daisy back.

Nick Carraway, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. While with Daisy and her husband Tom, he is introduced to Jordan Baker, with whom he begins a romantic relationship. Jordan tells Nick that Tom has a lover, Myrtle Wilson. Nick, who is befriended by Gatsby, helps him rekindle his affair with Daisy. Tom, suspicious of his wife's relationship with Gatsby, confronts him and reveals to Daisy his criminal activity. In route from the city, Myrtle Wilson is hit by Gatsbys car, which Daisy was driving. Tom purposefully tells George Wilson that Gatsby hit his wife, and George proceeds to kill Gatsby, and then himself. Nick stages a small funeral for Gatsby, ends his relationship with Jordan, and moves back to the Midwest.

This story is shaped by symbols with one of the most prominent one being the green light at the end of Daisys dock. To Gatsby it becomes the embodiment of his dream for the future, and it beckons him to fulfill his desires concerning Daisy. Another symbol would be the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which work in the same fashion as the green light, although their meaning is not set in stone. Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, the eyes are simply an odd, unexplained image, that gives the reader an unsettling feeling. These eyes also emphasize the lack of a fixed relationship between symbols and what they symbolize; the eyes could mean something different from person to person.

Along with symbols, an interesting motif would be the geography of The Great Gatsby. Each of the locations in the novel, including West Egg, East Egg, the valley of ashes, and New York City, corresponds to a particular theme or type of character encountered in the story. West Egg is like Gatsby, garish and extravagant, who symbolizes the emergence of the new rich in the 1920s. East Egg is like Tom and Daisy, whom are wealthy and have social status, which symbolizes the old aristocracy. The valley of ashes is like George Wilson, desolate, and without hope, symbolizing the moral decay of American society. And then there is New York City, which is chaos, and in which Nick sees the quality of distortion that he frequently speaks of (Great Books: The Great Gatsby. 2003).

All of these things lead up to one of the main themes of The Great Gatsby: the spirit of the 1920s, combined with the conflict between social classes. A symbol of this is Jay Gatsby himself, in both his personality and how he changes throughout the course of the story in the same fashion that America does during the 1920s. He seems to be putting on a show, composing a character out of himself that is defined by the rich things he owns to impress Daisy. This is exactly like the trend of Consumptionism that ran rapid throughout the Eastern United Sates in the 1920s. (Great Books: The Great Gatsby. 2003)

This leads us to another theme weaved into The Great Gatsby, which is the decline of the American dream. This is symbolically represented in how Gatsby obtains his wealth, and the manner of his death. It is also revealed in the other characters of The Great Gatsby, showing what happens to people who dare to dream big, and who are torn between hope and disillusion.

As The Great Gatsby ends, it is seen that the American Dream is Gatsbys killer. He is the victim of his own unknowing, and shows us how hope can blind you from seeing what could truly be your downfall.