A book report on <The Great Gatsby>
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” While reading, we occasionally run into extraordinary sentences, which are unforgettable and kept in mind deeply. The previous excerpt is from the last
sentence in book< The Great Gatsby>, and I chose to read the book because of that good sentence. Although there are various version of this book, they are equally good and worth reading.
About Author----- “Gatsby in reality”
<The Great Gatsby> was written by American writer Francis. Scott. Fitzgerald in 1925, which was grounded in New York in 1920s as novel. It lays the status of Fitzgerald in modern literary history, which made him the representative writer in “Jazz Age” and “ the lost generation” in 1920s. At the end of the twentieth century, the American academic authority selected one hundred most prominent novels in English literature, and <The Great Gatsby> ranks high in No.2 .
It is acknowledged that art originates from reality, so does this novel. The writer ’s family was poor because of the violent world war one, and later he fell in love with one rich girl who would marry him only if he can earn money to live on the habits of the time. So after Fitzgerald received high contribution fee, the girl Zelda agreed to marry him and the two happy couple had very wealthy, extravagant life, just like what he had described in <The Great Gatsby>. But after the great
depression happened in American economy, Fitzgerald went bankrupt and Zelda left him for her mental illness and emotional break-up. We can see that Gatsby
concentrates the half life experiences from Fitzgerald. The true experiences makes the novel more impressive and can resonate with the readers. Just like the
description of the extremely extravagant scenes in the novel, that makes the readers feel unbelievable but reasonable.
About “Jazz Age” ----- Ostentatious
Fitzgerald named year 1919-1929 as the “Jazz age”, an era with money spent like water, an era with cynicism. We can tell this from this book. The whole novel is
written in the narrative of Nick. He lives in Long Island, and becomes friends with his neighbor Gatsby who is ambitious enough and becomes extremely wealthy by selling bootleg liquor. He often serves extravagant banquet to attract his old lover Daisy as well as to win her heart back. It is because Gatsby once joined World War one and Daisy married Tom Buchanan who was born in old noble family. Daisy yet couldn’t bravely admit her love with Gatsby, one day she hit Tom’s mistress to death by
Gatsby ’s car after she got really drunk, but she and Tom impute the responsibility to Gatsby, which leads to the tragedy of Gatsby’s death. In the very end, Nick leaves New York and Daisy moves on her life with Tom.
The writer uses massive passages to describe the voluptuous life in the novel. Gatsby hosts extravagant banquet every night without knowing his guests. Daisy casually brings her golden pencil, “ her voice is filled with money.” When Fitzgerald writes about Tom’s meeting with his mistress, the lower class woman Mrs.Wilson, they have the same binge drinking, and lousy life.
The writer also uses condensed language with rich lyric, drawing a picture of “ Jazz age”---from the alive to the dead. He combines the plot, character,
conversation, scene, theme and other elements into one perfect artwork. Whatever classes they are, the people are after money, pursue pleasure, believe that money can perfect the world in a better way. Daisy and Tom belong to “the upper class”, and they are completely assimilated by money, they extremely despise bounders. Gatsby doesn’t understand this, he constantly pursues wealth, and dreams about one day he can obtain his ideal---Daisy. Even having acquired physical contentment, he still can not get rid of mental loneliness and sadness. The more temptation we face, the more we need to figure what we really need.
About “ American dream”----- As though they rally true to false
After World War one, America entered an era of unprecedented prosperity. “American dream” like a big colorful balloon floating up the sky which made Americans entranced. Just like Fitzgerald said,” This is American’s most colorful, spreeing time, there are lots of things can be written about this era.”
If one novel simply writes about how dreams are shattered, this can not bring excitement. The valuable point is the novel itself expresses the tenacious vitality of “ human’s last and the greatest dream”. The last sentence of <The Great Gatsby>
was graved on Fitzgerald’s gravestone:” Gatsby believed in the green light, the
orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter---tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning---So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. ” One contemporary “American dream” representative Bill Gates also carves this sentence in his house as important motto. Life may just cycles around hopes and disillusion.
Gatsby’s dream is classic “American dream”. His struggle reflects Americans’ tough, independence, and his failure demonstrates depravation and depression of American spirit after big war. High prosperity of material civilization brings desolation to people’s feelings, the appearance of carnival hides a huge spiritual emptiness and confusion, the whole society contains hesitation and misery, having no way to fly away. So, it is destined that the dream will broke because it is abnormal in the first place.
About Love ------ “If Could Stop When We First Met “
Gatsby met Daisy, who is superior at knowledge, property than him, and he regarded her as “perfect goddess” , Daisy also fell in love with Gatsby the first time she saw him. But the war parted these two lovers. Gatsby’s hope is the green light against the shore, where his beloved Daisy lives. He is a man of responsibility,
courage and purity. His family background and business operation determine the fact that he always lies in dangerous status. He takes advantage of everything and in return, everything controls him. Daisy is not as good as what he has imagined, and it is not her fault. Between old love and marriage, Daisy chooses the latter.
To conclude, one novel is one person’s life epitome, one era’s imprinting, just like <The Great Gatsby> is reflection of the 1920s’ American. Sadness and loneliness, love and hate, fickleness of human nature. <The Great Gatsby> in my eyes, are better known as the great tragedy.
A book report on <The Great Gatsby>
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” While reading, we occasionally run into extraordinary sentences, which are unforgettable and kept in mind deeply. The previous excerpt is from the last
sentence in book< The Great Gatsby>, and I chose to read the book because of that good sentence. Although there are various version of this book, they are equally good and worth reading.
About Author----- “Gatsby in reality”
<The Great Gatsby> was written by American writer Francis. Scott. Fitzgerald in 1925, which was grounded in New York in 1920s as novel. It lays the status of Fitzgerald in modern literary history, which made him the representative writer in “Jazz Age” and “ the lost generation” in 1920s. At the end of the twentieth century, the American academic authority selected one hundred most prominent novels in English literature, and <The Great Gatsby> ranks high in No.2 .
It is acknowledged that art originates from reality, so does this novel. The writer ’s family was poor because of the violent world war one, and later he fell in love with one rich girl who would marry him only if he can earn money to live on the habits of the time. So after Fitzgerald received high contribution fee, the girl Zelda agreed to marry him and the two happy couple had very wealthy, extravagant life, just like what he had described in <The Great Gatsby>. But after the great
depression happened in American economy, Fitzgerald went bankrupt and Zelda left him for her mental illness and emotional break-up. We can see that Gatsby
concentrates the half life experiences from Fitzgerald. The true experiences makes the novel more impressive and can resonate with the readers. Just like the
description of the extremely extravagant scenes in the novel, that makes the readers feel unbelievable but reasonable.
About “Jazz Age” ----- Ostentatious
Fitzgerald named year 1919-1929 as the “Jazz age”, an era with money spent like water, an era with cynicism. We can tell this from this book. The whole novel is
written in the narrative of Nick. He lives in Long Island, and becomes friends with his neighbor Gatsby who is ambitious enough and becomes extremely wealthy by selling bootleg liquor. He often serves extravagant banquet to attract his old lover Daisy as well as to win her heart back. It is because Gatsby once joined World War one and Daisy married Tom Buchanan who was born in old noble family. Daisy yet couldn’t bravely admit her love with Gatsby, one day she hit Tom’s mistress to death by
Gatsby ’s car after she got really drunk, but she and Tom impute the responsibility to Gatsby, which leads to the tragedy of Gatsby’s death. In the very end, Nick leaves New York and Daisy moves on her life with Tom.
The writer uses massive passages to describe the voluptuous life in the novel. Gatsby hosts extravagant banquet every night without knowing his guests. Daisy casually brings her golden pencil, “ her voice is filled with money.” When Fitzgerald writes about Tom’s meeting with his mistress, the lower class woman Mrs.Wilson, they have the same binge drinking, and lousy life.
The writer also uses condensed language with rich lyric, drawing a picture of “ Jazz age”---from the alive to the dead. He combines the plot, character,
conversation, scene, theme and other elements into one perfect artwork. Whatever classes they are, the people are after money, pursue pleasure, believe that money can perfect the world in a better way. Daisy and Tom belong to “the upper class”, and they are completely assimilated by money, they extremely despise bounders. Gatsby doesn’t understand this, he constantly pursues wealth, and dreams about one day he can obtain his ideal---Daisy. Even having acquired physical contentment, he still can not get rid of mental loneliness and sadness. The more temptation we face, the more we need to figure what we really need.
About “ American dream”----- As though they rally true to false
After World War one, America entered an era of unprecedented prosperity. “American dream” like a big colorful balloon floating up the sky which made Americans entranced. Just like Fitzgerald said,” This is American’s most colorful, spreeing time, there are lots of things can be written about this era.”
If one novel simply writes about how dreams are shattered, this can not bring excitement. The valuable point is the novel itself expresses the tenacious vitality of “ human’s last and the greatest dream”. The last sentence of <The Great Gatsby>
was graved on Fitzgerald’s gravestone:” Gatsby believed in the green light, the
orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter---tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning---So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. ” One contemporary “American dream” representative Bill Gates also carves this sentence in his house as important motto. Life may just cycles around hopes and disillusion.
Gatsby’s dream is classic “American dream”. His struggle reflects Americans’ tough, independence, and his failure demonstrates depravation and depression of American spirit after big war. High prosperity of material civilization brings desolation to people’s feelings, the appearance of carnival hides a huge spiritual emptiness and confusion, the whole society contains hesitation and misery, having no way to fly away. So, it is destined that the dream will broke because it is abnormal in the first place.
About Love ------ “If Could Stop When We First Met “
Gatsby met Daisy, who is superior at knowledge, property than him, and he regarded her as “perfect goddess” , Daisy also fell in love with Gatsby the first time she saw him. But the war parted these two lovers. Gatsby’s hope is the green light against the shore, where his beloved Daisy lives. He is a man of responsibility,
courage and purity. His family background and business operation determine the fact that he always lies in dangerous status. He takes advantage of everything and in return, everything controls him. Daisy is not as good as what he has imagined, and it is not her fault. Between old love and marriage, Daisy chooses the latter.
To conclude, one novel is one person’s life epitome, one era’s imprinting, just like <The Great Gatsby> is reflection of the 1920s’ American. Sadness and loneliness, love and hate, fickleness of human nature. <The Great Gatsby> in my eyes, are better known as the great tragedy.