The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I found to be very intriguing and despite its slow start, a well- written novel about New York life in the nineteen- twenties. Fitzgerald thoroughly describes his characters through a simple plot embodying the thematic concept of the American dream and the realities of a new era. Every character had a unique level of complexity and they each appeared to have their own secrets to hide, even the smallest of characters seemed suspicious. Another recurring theme I found throughout the novel was the juxtaposition of trust and desire as well as, the overpowering idea to always be on top. Paralleling that idea, however, were the realities of how one must obtain it. In addition, Fitzgerald touches on the importance of appearing perfect; one must live the ideal life, with the perfect spouse, home, and an infinite amount of wealth.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with not only its significant hidden messages, but also with its unique style. Fitzgerald writes in first person, referring to himself as Nick Carraway. By writing in first person, the author creates a feeling for the reader as if they were experiencing everything firsthand. In addition, I appreciated Fitzgerald’s employment of descriptive imagery and analogies, allowing the reader to picture every scene with heightened senses.
Although I believe this book was very interesting and well- written, I do not think the author’s purpose was well illustrated. Fitzgerald had several important lessons woven throughout the pages; however, the overarching point he was trying to accomplish, was not apparent to me. Overall, though, I really liked this novel and I believe it gives great insight into an important time period in American history.
I agree with some of the points you have established in you personal review. I enjoyed the novel and it's style, but I was able to see the averall point of the novel. The main point of the novel was that people's intentions may not always be clear and may change. Nick Carraway at first moves to New York for business, but then moves back at the end of the novel because he cannot stand the life style. Gatsby thinks he just wants Dasiy, but he wants more than her. He wants her life stlye, and he thinks he can achive that by getting her to love him again. Other then that your personal review was very good.
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