by F. Scott Fitzgerald
MY OPINION: **
I'm about to write about my very controversial opinion of what is arguably one of America's best-known classics. Everyone I know loves this book, adores everything about it, thinks it's the creation of God. However, I personally was unenthused and quite frankly loathed this novel and everything about it. Before you start commenting that it's because I didn't "understand" it and its many themes, I can assure you I understood it with the level of analysis we went into in AP Language and Composition.
I usually am very mixed on classics. I sometimes adore them, like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and sometimes I am on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, such as for Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. Unfortunately, this novel fell into the latter category no matter how much I tried to like it.
It may have been because it was what I call a "forced read." I think that definitely played a role in my lack of interest in the novel. We were forced to read it for junior year English class, no matter which level you were in (normal, Honors, AP). I personally always strongly dislike most books we are forced to read for school mainly because it was not appealing to me, seeing as I never read it prior to the class. Being the reader I am, I definitely would have read this novel at some point in my life mainly just to see what the hype is all about but it wouldn't have been this soon if it hadn't been forced.
The novel is referred to as one of the "great classics" of American literature and twentieth-century literature as a whole. I personally could not tell you why. Yes, it had various interesting overarching themes that the author managed to incorporate and illustrate through the staggering of society and the disparities between various characters. However, a good theme doesn't make a book good.
Why are we extolling racism? The age-old argument that the book was written in an intolerant time does not change anything. While it is "realistic" of the time period and the rich social atmosphere the characters lived in, it's never addressed in a negative light. The characters, all of whom are white, constantly refer to themselves as the "superior" or "dominant" race. While yes, this can be historically accurate to the mindsets of many white people back then (and sadly, now), there was no rebuke or rebuff and instead the characters just all laughed and agreed. I don't care that this is representative of people back then; I cannot in any way, shape, or form condone unaddressed and prevalent racism and consider a book with fleshed-out dialogues concerning racism in a positive light a "great classic."
Additionally, the characters highlight the various economic and societal disparities between people at the time. To be fair, the protagonist, Nick, does happen to point out these flaws and vocalizes his disgust and repulsion at the extravagant and overly decadent lifestyles of the East Eggers, and yet he doesn't DO anything about it. Yes, what can he do? I did like how the characters were portrayed since both the West Eggers and East Eggers were middle to upper class people but still had many differences between them. It was interesting to see this perspective because usually books with this theme highlight the differences between the very rich and the very poor and this one took a more mediocre route.
Gatsby's and Daisy's entire relationship gave me nothing. I didn't get the chills, I didn't get the feels, I felt zero emotions about their entire supposed "love." While some might argue it's not a romance novel, their "love" is a very large and predominant part of the book that you can't just ignore. A lot of people tell me how theirs is a great love story full of passion and a raw approach to the throes of love but I personally saw nothing between them. I didn't see any chemistry and it mostly seemed like Gatsby was mooning over Daisy for years instead of moving on like a normal person. Additionally, she had a husband and Gatsby had absolutely no respect for that aspect of her life. I understand that he believed that she loved him despite her marriage but she was still MARRIED and you can't just manipulate her into cheating on the man she's been married to for years just because you've supposedly loved this girl forever.
I hated Tom's and Daisy's relationship. At least with Gatsby and Daisy they seemed slightly more genuine. However, both Tom and Daisy cheat on each other. I hated the utter misogyny throughout their whole relationship. Tom cheats on Daisy with a mistress that she knows about but he claims that it was just a fling and it was no big deal. However, when Daisy goes off with Gatsby, her supposed love of years, Tom throws a fit and claims that she has no right and that it is adultery when in reality he did the exact same thing and she didn't complain about it. I hated the double standards that these two characters had for themselves, especially Daisy who should have known better. However, it is the 20s and women were not as socially independent and were very attached to their husbands, as it was still a fairly important economic institution to be married to a rich male. I can't forgive Tom because not only was he racist throughout the whole book, but he was also sexist and treated his wife like an object.
Daisy deserved better. She was stuck in a toxic relationship with her cheating husband, Tom. She was in love with Gatsby but didn't know where he went and whether or not he was ever going to come back to her, driving her to get married to the first rich man she came across. At the end, readers can really see her pain and confusion as she's forced to almost "choose" between Tom and Gatsby. The poor girl didn't even have a chance to think for herself and make a decision as both Tom and Gatsby were pressuring her and making her answer questions about her feelings that she didn't even know the answers to yet. My poor Daisy didn't deserve that. She was a strong woman who deserved independence and freedom of thought to choose who she loved and who she wanted to be with.
Gatsby was one of the most complicated characters in literary history. He was an enigma. He put up such an elaborate facade that it took the entire book for readers to finally realize who he really was. He created an entire false persona just to appear better than who he really was. We learn in the end it was all for Daisy and his love which was both admirable and pathetic. Gatsby really could have moved on and lived a happy life instead of mooning for some rich girl he met once who married another man, making it obvious Gatsby wasn't worth waiting for. I both loved and hated Gatsby. He deserved better in the end and yet it was his through his own folly and his letting his emotions guide his every action that he ended up the way he did.
Every time Gatsby said "old sport," I had to take a breather and step away from the book so as not to let my anger rise too far. I understand the meaning behind it but it got so redundant and annoying over time and was not the endearing catchphrase that so many people make it out to be.
Nick was an unreliable narrator that added a fresh perspective to the entire love story of Gatsby and Daisy. It obviously would have been different if told from one of those two character's point of view but Nick allowed for a third person viewpoint to further highlight the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy without it becoming one-sided. It gave readers an unbiased illustration of the supposed love between the two characters. I am also convinced that Nick was secretly in love with Gatsby and you can't tell me otherwise!
I loved Jordan. I don't need to explain myself. She was just the positive aspect of the novel that felt like a breath of fresh air.
The ending was insane. It partially made up for the rest of the bland novel. It really puts Tom in an even more despicable light while forcing readers to pity Gatsby and his folly.
The writing is long, tiresome, and elaborate. There were times when I truly appreciated the use of imagery and description and other times when I felt like half of it could have been cut out and the book would have been fine.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a classic novel about the vices of the wealthy and the tragic love story of two unlucky lovers.
Main Character: Nick, Gatsby
Sidekick(s): Daisy, Jordan, etc
Villain(s): Tom, money, etc
Classic Elements: This book is well-known American classic set in the 1920s.
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