Great Gatsby Letter essay 8

BJ Wenzel

5-4-17

Period #1

ILA

 

Dear Blog,

 

Last week, I finished F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. It is 180 page literally fiction novel set in the roaring twenties, 1922, in upper class New York City social scene. The Great Gatsby is an American classic read in high schools all over the country. I had never had any interest in reading it until my older sister, MacKenzie, read it for school in her English class. She explained the book to me but didn’t give everything away. Her persuasive conversation made me want to read the book. After reading this book, I’m excited to watch the movie.

 

To begin, the book is about a man named Jay Gatsby and his mysterious life. He was born a poor child in North Dakota and reinvents himself to become rich and socially powerful.His original name was James Gas. The story is told by his best, Nick Carraway, who lives in a tiny house next to Gatsby’s mansion. The plot mainly focuses on the love affair Gatsby has with Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. The novel starts out with Nick moving to New York City to sell bonds. He reconnects with his cousin, Daisy, Gatsby’s longtime love. As Nick and Gatsby’s friendship grows, Gatsby asks Nick for a favor. Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy over for tea so he can reunite with her. After Daisy and Gatsby meet, they fall in love like they did long ago, even though Daisy is married. The middle part of the book we find out that Gatsby had fallen in love with Daisy when he was a young soldier but couldn’t marry her because he wasn’t rich. We also learn how he reinvents himself and how they fall in love again. Later in the book, Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, meets Gatsby at Gatsby’s party, and becomes suspicious of Gatsby’s wealth. He investigates him and reveals his past to Daisy; Gatsby is a criminal. Following Gatsby’s true reveal the plot starts to spiral into terrible events.

 

The main character Jay Gatsby plays with your emotions throughout the entire book. At the beginning, he seems shady and mysterious, almost fake and unreal. Then towards the middle of the book you start to better understand him making you trust him and root for

 

him. Then in the end, you end up in a debate with yourself whether you like him or not, ultimately, though, you just feel sorry for him. I noticed how the author had a lot of foreshadowing with the characters and environment around them. This technique made it exciting to read the book. I was satisfied when Nick compliments Gatsby on how he’s better than all the other wealthy snobby social people. It helped to better understand Gatsby and Nick’s friendship.

 

“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to the blue lawn, and his dream must have  seemed to close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in the vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. (Pg. 180)” I like this passage because it shows that even though he had everything he wanted, he didn’t feel worthy of it because he didn’t earn it honestly and so he couldn’t have pride in all his accomplishments.

 

I rate this book a ten out of ten. It brought you into the 1920s and touched upon themes that are with us today. The character development in the book was artfully crafted by Fitzgerald. In conclusion, the ending surprises every reader.

 

Your Friend,
BJ Wenzel

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