The Roaring 20’s serves to fascinate many, and we often look back on it as a time of parties and prosperity. The arts took on a completely different meaning, and it is characterized as being lively and full of excitement. However, for some, it is merely a facade, which is seen in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby. The narrator, Nick, serves as an outside perspective as he tells the story of the wealthy, and those aspiring to become wealthy. He is most intrigued by Jay Gatsby, a man of new money who has built his fortune in order to capture the eye of his lost married love, Daisy Buchanan. Nick becomes drawn into the world of the upper class, yet slowly discovers that it is not all that it appears to be. Under the surface lies deceit, corruption, and atrocities, many of which are done by those who appear to be innocent. He learns that no one is who they seem to be.

This is one of my favorite novels, and also one that appears in many school curriculums. Many are fascinated with the wealthy and even hope to become wealthy themselves, essentially subscribing to the idea of the American Dream. However, this novel strongly exposes the notion that working to attain the American Dream is commonly fruitless. It initially appears attainable, but is unrealistic for those who have unrealistic ideals. The social commentary is astounding, and makes an amazing novel for analyzing a variety of human truths.

I highly recommend this novel because it reveals much about human nature and has a variety of themes common to many other novels. Furthermore, it is likely that you will read it in class eventually, so analyzing and understanding the book beforehand can prove to be extremely useful.

Age rating: 14+
Star rating 5 stars

This novel is a classic, and it is a beautiful depiction of love, loss, and nostalgia. It contains a good amount of symbolism, and the usage of grandiose imagery makes it an enjoyable read. The characters are very complex, and almost all of their actions have multiple meanings to them.

Nick Carraway moves to the east coast in order to work as a bond trader in Manhattan. There he meets his cousin Daisy Buchanan, her husband Tom, and their friend Jordan Baker. Nick also meets his next-door neighbor Jay Gatsby at one of the many parties he throws. Nick then starts dating Jordan and the story is taken up a notch when Jordan reveals that Gatsby once had a type of relationship with Daisy. I like this book because of the continuous plot twists and an overall intriguing story.

The Great Gatsby is a classic American literature book, and dare I say, one of the best. The novel is set during the Roaring 20’s in America; the narration is from Nick Carraway’s point of view, a man from a well-to-do family who had just finished fighting the war, and was looking to sell bonds. He moves to East Egg, the slightly less grand area filled with nouveau riche in comparison to West Egg, right opposite of Gatsby's mansion. Gatsby is mega-rich and throws magnificent parties every weekend which the whole town attends. However the host is never seen during these parties, and is never completely known by any one person. Gatsby holds a dark secret about his past and how he acquired his wealth, and the uncovering of his secrets builds up to his downfall.
The Great Gatsby is so much more than a love story. It’s a novel about infidelity, crime, and the American Dream/psyche. Gatsby is the epitome of all these themes combined, and the symbolism in this book easily connects with our modern society. Whether it’s Doctor Eckleburg’s eyes, or the green light across from Daisy’s house, many of the symbols hinted in this novel portray what many teens would consider to be in relation with their lives.
The five major themes of this book can be related to what we are experiencing today: Jay Gatsby embodies America itself and the essence of the American Dream, wealth defines American identity and ultimately leads to a loss of morality and gross income inequality, cheating has become the guidebook in American culture as a means to an end, teens today strive for their own idealized American Dream and Romantic Dream of success, and the pathology and behavior of Tom and other characters in Gatsby mirror the pathology of leaders in the Trump era. I encourage readers to look into these themes and to decide for themselves the true message that Fitzgerald wishes for readers to register in his novel.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic novel. This novel is about a rich man, Jay Gatsby, and his love for a married woman, Daisy Buchanan as told from the POV of Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s close friend Nick Carraway. As Nick moves to New York for his new job he ends up living next door to the wealthy Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a man of mystery and elegance every night he holds huge parties at his mansions to attract the woman he once loved, Daisy. When Nick goes to his house one night they become close friends and Gatsby sees this as his way to get close to Daisy. But how far is Gatsby willing to go and how many people will get hurt in the process?

This book is a classic and it is one that everyone should read at some point in their lives. First of all, I loved the amount of symbolism the author used throughout the story. By using this literary device he was able to get the story through to his readers by using another method besides using words to write it out. Second, I loved Gatsby in this book. He had a very persevering and friendly personality, he is exactly the type of person you would want to be friends with. I also liked how he was hopelessly in love with Daisy, this showed that even wealthy men can have a soft spot for love which is depicted well in the book. Next, I loved the friendship between Nick and Gatsby, there were times when it did not seem genuine but overall they had a nice and mutual friendship. Lastly, I think that the author ended the book beautifully. Even though there were some sad parts throughout the book he was able to tie everything together really well.

In short, this is an amazing read for someone who loves a quick and educational read. Even though most people will read this book during their high school career I think everyone should try to read this book willingly instead of forcefully because I think they will enjoy it. -Eunchae, Grade 10

The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a tragic story about love coming with sacrifices. Starting off, Nick Carraway is a young man who moved to New York in the summer of 1922. He rented a house, neighboring Jay Gatsby. On the opposite side lived his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom. Daisy and Tom introduced a woman named Jordan Baker to Nick, and she decided to have an affair with him. Not long after this meeting, Jordan informed Nick about a secret lover that Tom had been meeting stealthily: Myrtle Wilson. After being told this secret, Mr. Carraway traveled with Tom and Myrtle on a trip back to New York City. As the summer progressed, Jordan and Nick attended a party that the mysterious Gatsby had invited the couple to. As the party was going, Gatsby asked to speak with Jordan privately. Suspicious, Nick inquired Jordan about what all this fuss was about. Jordan explained that Gatsby was madly in love with Daisy, and the parties he held were to bring attention to himself and impress her. Knowing all of this, Nick arranged a “tea party” with Daisy and Gatsby, where the two hooked up and started a relationship. After a short period of time, Tom grew suspicious of his wife’s relationship with Gatsby. At a meal gathering at the Buchanans’ house, Tom caught Gatsby staring at his own wife with awe and grew infuriated and told her lies about Gatsby. Daisy had believed Tom, yet continued to meet Gatsby. Following this event, a series of unfortunate misunderstandings and accidents happened, leading to a twisted ending.

The story ended in a way that may have dismayed many readers due to the absence of happiness, but overall this was a really well-written tragedy. The Great Gatsby evaluated how a misunderstanding could start a chain of misleading thoughts, ending with satisfaction for no one. Rather than taking the blame for someone you love and risking your life, protect them so that no one can hurt them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is honestly probably one of my favorites. I recommend everyone who has free time to check out this book sometime. A wonderful classic that cannot get any better.

Set during the Prohibition Era in the 1920s, The Great Gatsby tells a tale of changes in society after the Great War. The novel reveals the disparities in quality of life and wealth, from the rich East Egg to West Egg and the poor Valley of Ashes. The narrator, Nick Carraway, meets his wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and reunites with his distant cousin Daisy and her even wealthier husband, Tom Buchanan. As the story progresses, a rivalry forms between Tom and Gatsby, as they fight for Daisy's affection. This rivalry and a disastrous mix-up lead to the tragic ending of the book.

This story emblematizes the culture and change of ideas that many experienced after the First World War. Modernist ideas were conveyed through F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing, and fit into the narrative of the story very well. The complicated and varied structure of this novel makes it a complex story that holds many references to the culture of the 1920s.

4.5/5 Stars
15 and Up

One of the great American novels. As relevant now as it was back in the 1920s.

The novel, “The Great Gatsby,” takes place during the summer of 1922. The novel is through the lens of Nick Carraway, who recently moved into a house in West Egg. Nick’s neighbor, Jay Gatsby, owns a mansion and throws a party every Saturday night. Gatsby is trying to rekindle his relationship with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, who is married to a wealthy man, Tom Buchanan. This novel addresses global issues such as social class and gender inequality. The novel also portrays an “American Dream” based on Gatsby’s ambitions and the society that surrounds him. I enjoyed reading this novel because there was a lot of imagery and symbolism that stands out to the reader. Also, there were many conflicts and tragedies where it left me in shock. While reading the novel, I began to understand the differences between the characters and the differences between West and East Egg people. Overall, this was a great book to read and I would recommend it.

I knew of the great gatsby but I knew nothing about it. It wasn’t until this summer that decided to finally read it. Honestly it wasn’t what I expected. The plot is told through the perspective of nick caraway (I always thought that it was gatsby’s) and is about gatsby’s love to the married Daisy Buchanan. Taking place in the 1920s, it gives you a slice of what a some what normal life during that would have been like. And I say normal because that is what it is, nothing major happens throughout this book and because of this it is realistic. If your looking for a happy ending...there isn’t one and that is just how the story goes