Essays on The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby
Original title The Great Gatsby
Author F Scott Fitzgerald
Genre Tragedy
Language English
Characters Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan
Published April 10, 1925
ISBN 978-0-7432-7483-1
Book Summary
Essay Examples

Table of Contents

About The Great Gatsby book

F.Scott Fitzgerald is the writer of “The Great Gatsby.” The famous novel was published back in April 1925. A youthful romance inspired the writer’s novel with socialite Ginvera King and the lively parties he attended on the long island north shore.

 The novel illustrates the first-person narrator Nick Carraway’s reciprocity with mysterious multi-millionaire Jay Gatsby and talks about his fascination to revive and reunite with his former lover Daisy Buchanan. The first draft of this famous novel was completed back in 1924. After making revisions as suggested by his editor Maxwell Perkins, it was finally published in 1925.

The novel, after its publication, was a disappointment in the views of some literary critics; they believed it was not equal to Fitzgerald’s previous work. However, it received favorable reviews; it gained popularity after Second World War and after Fitzgerald’s death in 1940. After its sudden surge in popularity and critically scholarly re-examination, it has become a core part of the most American high school curriculum and a part of American culture.

Book Summary:

The novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway, is a World War 1 veteran from Midwest who moved to New York for employment as a bond salesman. He rented a bungalow next to an enigmatic millionaire, Gatsby state, famous for hosting lavish parties every weekend but not participating in them.

 Nick has a cousin, Daisy, that lives near his place. She and her husband Tom invite him to dinner one fine evening, Nick is introduced to Jordan, and he learns that Tom (Daisy’s husband) has another lover, Myrtle. Nick remains quiet about Tom and Myrtle, concludes the meeting, says greetings, and leaves the house.

 After a few days, Nick got an invitation for Gatsby to his parties; Nick went there to meet with the host, and they both connected immediately due to their forces background. Later Nick learns that Gatsby had a romantic relationship with his cousin Daisy back in the day. But Daisy left him due to his commitments as army personnel and because he did not earn enough money.

 

Disheartened and hoping to revive his relationship, Gatsby generates a lot of wealth and becomes a millionaire. He asks Nick to host a reunion with Daisy; Nick arranges the meeting, and when they meet, it’s a rollercoaster of emotions, and they reacquaint and start a relationship.

 Tom came to know that his wife Daisy and Gatsby were having an affair, understanding the gravity of the situation, Tom hosted a party for Gatsby in a hotel room. Tom takes this as an opportunity to convince Daisy that Gatsby generated his wealth through illegal means, and Tom repeatedly says Daisy loves him to incite Gatsby emotionally.

 After the argument, Daisy breaks her relationship with Gatsby again, and Tom sends Daisy home with Gatsby to prove and assure Gatsby that he is not a threat to him anymore. On the way back, Daisy, in the driver’s seat, hits Myrtle and kills her. Gatsby takes a toll on him to save Daisy’s life.

 Tom, Nick, and Jordan later find out Gatsby’s intent to take the blame; Tom tells Myrtle’s husband that Gatsby hit his wife. In anger and madness, George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, finds Gatsby in his mansion, kills him, and commits suicide.

 Nick arranges and gives Gatsby a small funeral, breaks his relationship with Jordan, and moves out of the east after concluding that he is Midwesterner unsuited to Eastern Life. Tom admits that he gave George false information about Gatsby driving the car. Before returning to the west, Nick visited Gatsby’s mansion for final Goodbye and stared at the green light across the bay at Daisy’s dock. The Great Gatsby essay can use this information to create an effective piece of writing.

The Great Gatsby quotes

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s romantic novel the great Gatsby has dramatic twists and turns, emotional and romantic incidents filled with greed, self-absorption, and decisiveness. Here are some worth mentioning quotes that can be used in the Great Gatsby essay topics:

Nick Carraway “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.” 

Meyer Wolfshiem “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” 

Jordan Baker “It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people.

Nick Carraway Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope.” 

  Nick Carraway” It occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well.” 

Essay Structure on the Great Gatsby:

Hopefully, now you have got a better idea and pictures about the Great Gatsby, its theme, character, role, and how the storyline develops and finisher at the end. We guide you on how to write an efficient essay using the Great Gatsby essay prompts.

 It is recommended to outline your essay; it helps structure it properly, with all the aspects covered, grammatically sound, and draft an articulated academic paper. Here are the necessary ingredients for your essay outline:

Introduction:

When will write an essay on The Great Gatsby, keep in mind that the introduction is the most crucial part of any essay. The introduction is responsible for building and keeping the reader’s interest in the essay. It can be comprised of different attention-grabbing and engaging phrases that are relevant and significant; here is the breakdown:

  •     The Great Gatsby essay introduction starts with an attention-grabbing line; it can be a quote, phrase, or any relevant fact; it must be impactful to hook the reader and get their attention easily. You can start with a question involving The Great Gatsby.
  •     After gaining the reader’s attention by writing a hook, explains a little about the topic and your point of view in explaining it, be careful with using actual events or example, research well, and utilize them carefully.
  •     The thesis statement is always written at the end of the introduction. Write the thesis statement after outlining all the key points you want to mention in your paper.

Body:

This section of your essay contains The Great Gatsby symbolism essay and facts you use to make it valuable and impactful. All the facts must be well researched, their placement is on point, and it’s better to back your explanation using references from the novel. Make sure to keep the transition smooth when switching from one paragraph to another.

Conclusion:

On concluding your essay, start with your thesis statement and summarize your arguments throughout your essay; make a concluding statement that depicts and answers what you are trying to explain. Ensure reader engagement and compel them to participate by implementing its crux and taking appropriate actions.

Tips to Consider while writing an essay about The Great Gatsby:

An essay on topics like the great Gatsby that requires literary work is crucial; you cannot skip any detail or raise any arguments out of context. Below are a few points that make a good start to the essay.

Read The Book Thoroughly:

The most fundamental point for writing an essay on a book is to read that book thoroughly. Don’t miss any small detail; it gives you confidence and clears your thoughts in drafting a concise paper. 

Find A Compelling Topic:

There are certain ways and angles to create a compelling topic for you: the Great Gatsby essay.

  • One way to find a compelling topic is by starting and finishing it; once it’s done, figure out which idea or statement fits best. It makes you omit the do’s and don’ts while crafting the topic.
  • Your thesis statement and the main theme of your essay pave the foundation for your title.
  • You can consider a few possibilities that suit and do justice to your title length or relevance. You can make long or short after doing the proper assessment.

Create The Outline:

Creating an outline before writing your essay is an efficient and advisable way. To create a better outline, you need to brainstorm about the topic, details that need to be covered and, essay structure, how it will look to the audience.

Write all possible ideas; are alternates, different angles to cover your topic. These ideas help you compose and draft your thoughts on paper, which eventually play their part in crafting a good piece of writing.

 This practice will save you time and prevent any distraction or contradiction of your ideas. Once you have a clear guideline or roadmap, the execution is smooth and easy.

Write the Thesis Statement:

There are different ways to look and write the thesis statement for your essay; everyone has their perspective; therefore, the thesis statement may differ from person to person, but it must stay relevant to the essay topic. The Great Gatsby is about many things; F.Scott Fitzgerald unfolds many aspects in his novel.

 The thesis statement can depict the American Dream, where individuals can attain or achieve things or goals to their maximal potential. But certain dreams remain dreams no matter what.

Include a Lesson or Moral:

The Great Gatsby starts with first-person narrator nick moving to the east to pursue his new job in a completely different culture and area from the Midwestern. The first thing that astonished him was the parties hosted by his neighbor where different people from all scope of life participated except himself.

 

That made him curious and stunned while living across the bay from his second cousin Daisy, who is also married to a millionaire, inviting him over for tea. Out of many things, Nick noticed that his cousin’s husband’s behavior was strange, and he had a relationship with his mistress.

One thing was clear to him; wealth can’t hide anyone’s true nature, and everything is not attainable by wealth. After a while, he got an invitation from his neighbor Mr. Gatsby for the party; he accepted it and met with Gatsby.

 He finds Mr. Gatsby completely different, who gave importance to a person or relation more than money. That one thing, with many others, compels him to be friends with Mr. Gatsby. Later, he realized that Mr. Gatsby liked his cousin Daisy, which left him not having enough in the back days.

Nick plays his part in arranging meet-ups for Daisy and Gatsby. Still, decisiveness, greed, lies, and a materialistic approach wins, and emotions, love, relations, and a person’s hope to gain love and amends things left far behind. These things make things unbearable for nick, and worst, after Gatsby’s death, he decides to move back to Midwestern.

Conclusion: Proofread Your Work

To deliver your best effort and your writing without any errors or grammatical mistakes, you need to proofread your work once you finish it. You should also check the smooth transitioning of paragraphs and structure and relevancy to the topic.

 Although The Great Gatsby failed to impress the critics when it was published, a sudden surge in its popularity among American soldiers during World War II compels the critics to re-examine it, and the rest is history. It has become a part of American culture and literature.

 Follow all the guidelines, stay clear and focus on your outline, structure your essay and make the thesis statement suits best, and craft a suitable topic from it. Write an effective, well-composed piece of writing.

FAQs:

What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby?

The green light symbolizes Daisy, standing right in front of Gatsby across the bay, with a sense of completeness. It can be hope or wealth or living an American dream, all things that make Gatsby move close to Daisy and recreate and rediscover the lost love.

Who Is The Narrator Of The Great Gatsby?

Nick Carraway, a Midwestern, moves to the east for a job as a bond salesman, second cousin of Daisy, a neighbor of Gatsby, and then becomes a good friend. Play role is reuniting Gatsby and Daisy, a keen observer of society and how greed, self-absorbed, and decisiveness takes over dreams, love, and a person’s life.

Where Does The Great Gatsby Take Place?

The Great Gatsby took place on long island north shore near New York City in the jazz age. It is the tragic love story of Jay Gatsby, who was a self-made millionaire.

What Is The American Dream In The Great Gatsby?

James Truslow Adams defined the American dream as “A dream of social order in which every man and every woman shall be able to attain the maximal stature of which they are innately capable.”

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FAQ about The Great Gatsby

A subjective opinion on what makes Fitzgerald’s novel great, case study The Great Gatsby
...I realize many people may say that The Great Gatsby deserves renown for reasons such as its historical significance, but I do not think that is what is important in a book. Few people want to read a book because it describes history. That is, after a...
How F. Scott Fitzgerald Develops The American Dream Through The Great Gatsby Novel
...Gatsby was in love with a girl named Daisy, Gatsby couldn’t be with Daisy because he was poor and couldn't afford the lifestyle daisey wanted. Nick observes Gatsby standing on his dock and “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water...I....d...
How Does Gatsby Represent The American Dream
...Overall the pursuit of the American Dream is not a pretty one. Fitzgerald clearly showed that nobody in society can achieve big dreams, without having rational, and realistic views toward their ideas. People will always pursue the American Dream if i...
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