The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Set in Jazz Age New York, The Great Gatsby is a historical fiction novel about the decline of the American Dream. What at first appears to be a story about glitz and glamor turns into a tragic tale about a self-made millionaire in pursuit of the woman he loved in his youth. The Great Gatsby is considered a classic of American fiction, and has even been called “The Great American Novel”. The storyline is narrated by Nick Carraway, a man from the Midwest who moves to New York after World War I in order to pursue a career in bonds. When he arrives in the city, Nick takes a house in the village of West Egg, and finds himself living amongst incredibly rich people with incredibly glamorous homes. Nick’s cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom, live just across the water in the village of East Egg. The three of them, along with Daisy’s friend Jordan Baker, and a peculiar man named Jay Gatsby, get into many antics together. The summer of 1922 is one that Nick Carraway will never forget.

The Great Gatsby highlights the glamor and allure of the Roaring 20’s while outlining many of the the shortcomings of the “American Dream”. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald during the 1920s, the novel exhibits quite accurate language and settings for the time. However, the experiences of the characters in The Great Gatsby are not occurrences that many people are familiar with, as Nick and his comrades were much more fortunate than most during this era. This unique perspective gives readers an insight into the lifestyle and frame of mind that those in the upper class lived in during that time. Filled with symbolism and metaphor, The Great Gatsby makes for a wonderful reading experience.

I personally enjoyed reading this story, and found it very educational. I would recommend The Great Gatsby to readers aged 12 and up looking to learn more about American culture in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is 208 pages long.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American novelist, essayist, short story writer, and screenwriter, best known for his classic novels set in the Jazz Age.

Written by Asha-M, Grade 10