The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest books of American literature, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1925, it portrays the Jazz Age in America. But it has become so popular as it shows the American Dream that everyone is running after. Moving to America, making money, being rich and happy. However, the book was not appreciated the first time.
Firstly, it went unnoticed. Even F. Scott Fitzgerald said that no one knows what the book is about. However, as it was part of a giveaway organized by the US Army, over 100,000 books were distributed among soldiers. And so, it became one of the most popular and iconic American novels.
It is one of the novels that are a must-read in school, even though in recent years, some schools have eliminated it from their curricula. So, what makes The Great Gatsby a problem in school and college? Why wouldn’t a student write essays or a research paper on this novel? Why are some teachers so against it? Find out below.
Explaining the problem by writing essay
A lot of students are asked to read this novel, analyze it, and then write an essay about it. A lot of themes and subjects can be approached in an essay about this novel. As F. Scott Fitzgerald started narrating the story in the third person, he also created a narrator: Nick Carraway, a first-person narrator. You can find great gatsby essay examples easily and read more about the special writing techniques used by the author to recreate the atmosphere of the Jazz Age in America.
Whereas sometimes Nick has an approving attitude towards Jay Gatsby, it often is full of criticism. There are many essays free examples students can inspire from and learn more about the characteristics of Jay Gatsby and his life.
Finding out more about the subtleties of the novel will help you build a powerful essay and teacher comments’ for students writing will be excellent. You can spell for good grades and get exceptional grading college papers that will help you advance your academic goals. Your student contract for grades will be a good one, especially after you read this novel.
The American Dream
The American Dream might be one of the central themes of this novel. We have the main character, Jay Gatsby, who worked to achieve status and wealth. Which is what ultimately many people want. However, we all know that money doesn’t bring happiness over a certain level.
So, you start looking for the things you miss, such as love. Being a rich and wealthy man, Jay Gatsby had all the opportunities to find a woman to love him. However, how would he know that she will love him for what he is not for his money? His life is described by glamorous parties, where everyone is drinking, dancing, and having fun.
Daisy is a woman he was in love with a couple of years before, but his love for her hadn’t vanished in the meantime. Unfortunately, Daisy is married but this does not seem to stop Jay Gatsby from trying to get Daisy back. The story ends tragically for Jay Gatsby, showing that no matter how much money and wealth you have, this does not mean that you get what you want.
The Great Gatsby
There are many examples in the novel that perfectly portray the Jazz Age and what people thought about it, but how they lived it too. It describes the era when people were interested in having material goods, such as cars to prove their worth and status.
Of course, this is one of the reasons why this novel is still one studied in schools and read by many people. The car was proof of the status someone had and this is perfectly portrayed in this incredible novel. In less than 200 pages, this novel shows characteristics of the American Dream that is so present in today’s societies too.
It is a great text for studying, as the author uses so many literary devices. However, some schools and teachers consider it a problem, mainly for the aggressive behaviors portrayed in the book. So, it has been forbidden in some schools in the USA, such as those in Arizona.
Final Thoughts
The Great Gatsby is a well-written novel that portrays society during the Jazz Age when the American Dream was so present in society. People dreamed of moving to America, to get a good job and earn money that will come with status too.
However, the main moral of the book is that the American Dream is unattainable. Wealth and status will not bring happiness, as is the case of Jay Gatsby. Even though he is an influential member of society, his love for Daisy will also bring his ending.
