The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Anara
Our narrator - and only redeemable character - Nick moves into a small rented home, next door to an almost constant party. He discovers that somehow he knows the mysterious Gatsby, who hosts the parties in his mansion.
I know this story is meant to be a renowned romance but I just can't believe Gatsby's claim of true love. I did not see any depth of feeling: merely Gatsby’s obsession with a woman he once dated. I feel the reality of it is that Gatsby was a poor man who latched on to the idea of wealth, which seems to have gotten mixed up with his feelings for Daisy, who is herself superficial and frivolous. Gatsby is so completely enamoured by their glamor and beauty, that he forgets about substance. And in order to win her he must prove himself to her. He must prove “new money” is as good; as influential as “old money”. This is the difference between Gatsby and the Bucanans.
The Bucanans and their friends seem to simply sit around drinking and using other people for their entertainment. All the characters are deplorable, which I can stand in some literature (I’m looking at you Cathy and Heathcliff!) when there is more to the love connection than admiration for looks or the way a woman carries herself. I could find no redeeming features or motives in this crowd. It ultimately shows the influence and power behind old money, and the horrible truth: people with money and social power get away with murder.
I feel like Fitzgerald was a little lazy with his conveniently connected but unconnected characters and their placements, e.g. Nick conveniently moving in next door to Gatsby, and his previous separate connections with both Daisy and Gatsby.
Generally, I love classic fiction, but I did not get on well with Fitzgerald. I found this classic hard to get into, with Fitzgerald’s writing style being a little too poetic and vague to really get my teeth into. The characters were unlovable and flimsy. I would recommend that anyone wanting to be introduced to classics choose something else.
- Anara
