The Great Gatsby Post

Jennifer Tabasco 11-2
English III
Mr. Fiorini
March 23, 2009

Reflection of The Great Gatsby

After reading the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I think that this novel was written rather well because not only was the book written from a different decade, but because it also opened my eyes on appreciating what you have in life and not worrying about the past so much. Yes, the past does affect who one is today, but the past is there for a reason: to stay in the past because it’s already happened in one’s life. My favorite character in this novel would probably be Nick because he stuck by Mr. Gatsby through his death, and he stayed true to himself who he was coming from the Midwest and then moving to New York City.
“The purpose of a work of fiction is to appeal to the lingering after-effects in the reader’s mind as differing from, say, the purpose of oratory or philosophy which respectively leave people in a fighting or thoughtful mood.” –Letter, June 1, 1934, to Ernest Hemingway. This direct quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald appeals to the novel, The Great Gatsby, because F. Scott Fitzgerald leaves so many unanswered questions at the end of his novel. I still don’t understand as to why Chapter 10 ended the way that it did with the death of James Gatz, also known as Jay Gatsby. When I first read this quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it really made me think of reasons as to why certain authors end their novels the way that they do. Most authors leave unanswered questions for their readers to interpret themselves because everybody has their own opinions on certain novels whether they liked or disliked them. This technique of ending novels by letting the reader “hang on a hook” allows them to really analyze and think about everything that happened during the course of the novel, and it gives them the chance to think about what they might have done in those certain situations. After I’m finished reading a novel, I usually ponder on what I would have done in certain scenarios and how I could apply this interpretation to my life today because when I’m dealing with a real life situation, I tend to analyze it way too much, and I begin to doubt myself because of my thoughts and feelings. As for a novel, I don’t really doubt myself because I know that those thoughts are mine only, and not everyone has the same thoughts and feelings as I do.
“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.” –Letter (undated) to his daughter, Frances. Also taken from F. Scott Fitzgerald, this direct quote instantly made me think of Daisy Buchanan. I’m not really sure as to why this quote made me think of Daisy, but I think that throughout the course of the novel, I think that Daisy was careful of who she was seen with and what she was doing because I think that she knew what was going to happen in the end when it came to choosing between Tom and Gatsby. I think that Fitzgerald based the character of Daisy around this quote because Daisy was a beautiful girl who knew what she wanted to do and when it was necessary to do whatever she wanted. At first, I really wanted Daisy to end up picking Gatsby because she waited for him while he went into the army during World War I, but as I read on, I felt content with her choice of picking Tom Buchanan because I knew that deep down in his heart, Tom really did love Daisy for who she was. If Daisy were a real person, I would ask her questions such as “Why did you pick Tom over Gatsby?” “Why did you lead Gatsby on into thinking that he was the one for you?” “Will Gatsby still remain apart of your life even though you didn’t choose to be with him?” “Will Pammy ever find out about your romantic life before you met her father?” These questions are just some that I would have loved to ask Daisy if she were alive today. To end this paragraph on Daisy Buchanan, I think that Daisy did attend James Gatz’s funeral even though F. Scott Fitzgerald didn’t directly mention it; I think that this action was implied for the reader to think about on their own. Why wouldn’t she want to go to Gatsby’s funeral? I mean, she was in love with Gatsby for five long years, or so I thought that she was. Daisy attending Gatsby’s funeral would show a sign of respect and care because this action would prove that she really trusted Gatsby, and that at some point in her life, she really did love him for him.
In conclusion, I think that The Great Gatsby really teaches about real life situations and how people during the 1920s were affected by them. I just wish that F. Scott Fitzgerald would have left out the alcohol situation, but the time period had a lot to do with the image of alcohol and flappers. I’m content with the way that the novel was written with so many diverse characters that all impacted on each other. Fitzgerald’s novel was sort of like a “1920s soap opera” that left the reader wanting more and more. This novel is also kind of like watching your favorite show on TV and then something dramatic happens at the tail end of the episode. You, as the viewer, would probably want to pull out your hair because you don’t want to wait until next week to see what happens in next week’s episode. This comparison was how I felt about The Great Gatsby. I think that there should be a sequel made for this novel because I would really be interested in seeing how all of the characters lives changed since the death of their friend, James Gatz. To end this essay on a happy note, I enjoyed reading this novel, and I really hope a sequel can possibly be made in the near future.