Great Gatsy review by Abhiram Singireddy

 The Great Gatsby is a great book, even though it can be deemed as overrated by some due to its intricate language. What I like the most about  The Great Gatsby are the character's actions which give away their true motives. The plot is quite basic to say the least and contributes to readers skimming over its pages, to get a sense of why the author wrote it. The book mainly focuses on, for the most part, Jay Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, his former lover before his deployment to Europe to fight in World War II. The narrator of the story (Nick Carraway) describes himself as a very tolerant person who looks to keep his opinions to himself. It is clear that F. Scott Fitzgerald is a critique of the American Dream as he indicates that it allows for someone who was originally poor to value money in the same way that Gatsby does as he looks to reunite with Daisy. Fitzgerald, through his description of Gatsby's extravagant parties which he holds to attract Daisy, reveals Gatsby's desire to live an elite lifestyle that very few can attain. As Nick is the narrator of the novel and the reader is able to see the story through his words, he is disgusted by how Gatsby's status has allowed him to climb his way up the social ladder. The main critique to The Great Gatsby is the lack of characterization, as Nick is the only character who is fully developed. The novel primarily focuses on the wealthy elite or people who are looking to live the same lifestyle they do. Fitzgerald does not add another plot line during Gatsby's late night parties at his mansion, which would have helped tie the novel to the time period in which it took place (The Jazz Age). Fitzgerald could have gone more into depth with certain aspects of the novel which are hidden from the reader, such as Daisy's perspective on Gatsby's mansion and what it would look like to Daisy who lives across the sound. Gatsby often talks about repeating the past since he has a misrepresentation of reality and does not understand that time has changed since he last met Daisy (her marriage to Tom and having a kid together). I don't think that Gatsby actually wants to relive the past but make up for the time that he lost in the 5 years prior.  The Great Gatsby is often associated with praising the American Dream but spotlights how many people come together in opposition of a man who sets his sight on attaining it, even through illegal means. There are a few notable flaws in Fitzgerald's writing however as the story appears clichéd as it appears to suggest that money can't buy happiness. After Gatsby heads to war, Daisy ditches him for Tom Buchanan for the simple reason that he is wealthy. She can forget about her past love for Jay as she has all that she could possibly need for her to be happy. In addition, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock symbolizes the close relationship that she and Gatsby have. It essentially represents the dream that they share and is the sole reason why Gatsby bought a mansion across from her cottage. I think that this book could have been improved further if the plot had been more captivating, characters further developed, and if the story was not clichéd. With that being said, I enjoyed reading the book nonetheless and would rate it a 7/10.