The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The 1925 novel is neatly crafted with an exceptional understanding of social stratification. Fitzgerald’s evocative work offers a brilliant glance of the American life in the 1920s. Although a variety of themes, such as greed, justice, power, and betrayal are brought out, social stratification theme is well developed in this novel. Fitzgerald begins the novel by creating distinct groups to differentiate social classes (Yardley par.4). The novel concerns a young millionaire whose life revolves around his desire. Gatsby’s motive was to reunite with his former love, Daisy Buchanan, but his quest leads him from poverty to wealth and finally to death.
The novel main events begin when Nick Carraway moves to New York. He leases a bungalow in the West Egg district of Long Island, a rich, but old-fashioned region occupied by the new rich (Sparksnotes par.1). Nick’s neighbor is a young millionaire who live in a big house and host parties frequently mostly during the weekends. Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan is married to Tom Buchanan, former Nick’s classmate at Yale. They introduce Nick to an attractive and skeptical young woman, Jordan Baker, and they begin a romantic acquaintance. She later reveals about Tom having an extramarital affair with Myrtle Wilson, who lives in a town between West Egg and New York City. Later on as the story continues, Gatsby invites Nick to one of his fabulous events. During the party, he meets Jordan and since she knows Gatsby; Nick is able to know more about his neighbor. He learnt that Gatsby’s wild party life and extravagance were attempts to impress Daisy, who he loves. He convinces Nick to invite Daisy at his place and later on he shows up unannounced .After the earlier awkward gathering, they begin an affair (Clark par.4).
Later on during a luncheon at Buchanan’s, Tom becomes suspicious of his wife of having an extramarital affair with Gatsby after he noticed him staring at Daisy. He is annoyed by the thought of his wife having an affair although he is involved in one too. During confrontation, Tom emphasizes on a history between Daisy and Gatsby and even tells his spouse that Gatsby is involved in illegal activities. Tom’s confidence makes him send Daisy and Gatsby back to East Egg. They are involved in an accident where Tom’s lover, Myrtle is killed. Gatsby takes the blame of hitting the woman although Daisy was the one driving. As soon as Myrtle’s husband, George, learnt of his wife’s death, he asserts that it must be her lover who hit her. He heads to Gatsby’s mansion and finds him by the pool and shoots him dead then gravely shoots himself.
After Nick organizes a funeral for Gatsby, he breaks up with Jordan and moves to the Midwest. He feels sickened by the low principles of life among the rich on the East Coast and those surrounding Gatsby’s life. The American dream of gladness and uniqueness is disintegrated to gluttony for wealth just as Gatsby’s dream was tarnished by deceitfulness and money.
F. Scott Fitzgerald attempted to bring each character with his or her personality. Nick Carraway is the narrator of the novel. Nick is severely seen as a confidant in many secrets. He knows about the secret affair between Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson and does not tell his cousin, Daisy Buchanan. He is also aware of Gatsby’s appearance in the awkward gathering with Daisy. Jay Gatsby is the main protagonist and the title character of the novel. He lives an extravagant life but no one understands where he makes his money, what he does, or his hometown. Although he tries to make his personal life a secret, Nick knows his hometown and he learnt that Gatsby gets his money from illegal activities (The Guardian par.2). Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s cousin, Tom’s wife, and Gatsby’s true love. Due to her husband’s disloyalty, she acts hastily to hide her agony. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s rich husband, is a fraud and egotistical bully (Yardley par.12). He demands everyone around him to live up to honorable principles forgetting he has no moral doubts about his affair with Myrtle. Jordan Baker is the woman who Nick is introduced to by his cousin and they begin a romantic relationship. Apart from being a modest golfer, she is attractive and skeptical. Jordan is a liar since she cheated to win her first golf match (Sparknotes par.5). Myrtle Wilson is married to George, a shattered owner of the garage and Tom’s lover. She has an aggressive life and she dreadfully looks for a way to unravel her status quo. Tom treats her like an ordinary object and even breaks her nose. George Wilson is Myrtle’s husband. He is outraged by an affair she is having with Tom. George fatally shoots himself after shooting Jay.
Each character in the novel brings out the perception of reality. Jay Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle is an attempt to attract his true love, Daisy Buchanan (Clark par.3). He is involved in illegal activities just to make money. When they get involved in an accident that claims Myrtle’s life, he takes the blame for Daisy and is then killed by George. Both George and Jay have aspects of similar characteristics in that they are both idealists and are ruined by their one-sided love for women who love other men.
Work Cited
Clark, Edwin. “The New York Times.” Scott Fitzgerald Looks Into the Middle Age, 1998. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Sparknotes. “Literature Study Guides.” The Great Gatsby book review. 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
The Guardian. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- review, 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Yardley, Jonathan. “The Washington Post.” ‘Gatsby’: The Greatest Of Them All, 2007. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
