The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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The Great Gatsby Essay Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Princeton University, but flunked out and joined the US army. While in the army, he met the love of his life Zelda. Zelda refused to commit to him without him having a steady job. After being discharged, he moved to New York City to pursue a career of advertising. After only a few months, he returned to St. Paul to continue his writing career. His first novel's success made him famous and let him marry the woman he loved. His recently found fame gave him a bad reputation that made some people see him as less than a serious literary genius. The Fitzgeralds enjoyed fame and fortune, and the characters in The Great Gatsby closely resemble these characteristics. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is very wealthy and successful, which is what Fitzgerald strived for his entire life. The life Fitzgerald led and the life he wished to lead is reflected in the extravagant life of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby and Fitzgerald were also similar in their devotion to their lovers. Although Zelda spent her final years in an asylum, Fitzgerald continued to be loyal to her. Gatsby spent his entire trying to win back the love of his life, even when things seemed hopeless. The Great Gatsby has a main set of characters, each with different relations to one another. The story is narrated through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a bonds salesman who lives in a small cottage on Gatsby’s estate. Nick is an honest man who looks out for people and always tries to do what’s right. The book is titled after Jay Gatsby; a successful businessman who is hopelessly in love with Nick’s married cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is a dreamer who will do anything in his power to... ... middle of paper ... ...wealth and power. The last symbol in the novel is the use of colors such as green, white and gold. Green symbolizes hope, just like the green light is a beacon of hope for Gatsby and his undying love Daisy. White is used to symbolize purity and innocence, which is why Daisy is often attributed to white items, such as cars and clothing. Gold is used to symbolize wealth and old money. Based on my research, I would classify The Great Gatsby as one of the best American novels. My reasoning for this is the relevance it has to life today. The themes are timeless and can be relatable to all ages from all different time periods. The characters are likeable and the large aspect of symbolizes gives the novel greater meaning. Based on all these aspects of the novel, it should be recognized by all for its value. Works Cited http://www.pbs.org/kteh/amstorytellers/bios.html

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