Personal Review

Personal Review

            Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is more than just a tale of a few character’s lives in New York City: it is a story that warns that living solely to acquire wealth, popularity, and love may only lead to tragedy. The misfortune of every character grew as the novel progressed and the characters were more superficial and self-absorbed than ever. This novel profoundly reinforced my view of the world, as it solidified the idea that happiness derived from large social gatherings and nice things is not contentment at all – it is a façade that leaves a person more devastated and depressed than ever. The author’s skillful use of simile, metaphor, and diction raise this novel to a different level than almost all the other books I have read – these aspects of the writing are not just there to be there, but are there because they have a purpose, and they are never too long or off topic – they are usually perfectly suited to what the author is attempting to convey. I feel that the author’s style of writing – using rhetorical strategies to point out the wrongs of his characters – was extremely effective in conveying how he disapproved of his character’s actions and even more so in cautioning his readers from falling into superficiality and becoming self-absorbed like his characters, which he attempted to convey only led to one’s demise, as it did in the case of Gatsby and Myrtle. Various aspects of Fitzgerald’s life are visible throughout the novel. It is widely known that he had a troubled relationship with a woman named Zelda, and this may directly translate into Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. His depression in life due to his sadness over the war and his alcoholism may have lead him to write a novel that does not end in a particularly positive way, but with a more ominous, saddening line: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 180). He implies that people will delude themselves and repeat their mistakes time and time again, like Gatsby convincing himself that his love with Daisy was still the same after five years even though he had not seen or talked to her in that amount of time – and indeed, it was not the same. Fitzgerald’s novel teaches readers of all walks that they should avoid the superficial aspects of life, whether they be material or intangible, and should be genuine instead because being a person devoid of any real substance will only lead one to make serious mistakes that can ruin another person or one’s own life. I believe that if all high school students are made to read this novel and are actually forced to comprehend the nuances of the book, not only will their comprehension of literature improve, but also, their character.