F.+Scott+Fitzgerald

Travon,
Sound work overall. The summary is the strongest, although I like some of your observations re: the AD of //Gatsby// overall. 26

Summary-
**The Great Gatsby** tells the story of Gatsby and his obsession to get his true love Daisy. Gatsby is a suspicious man who has these extravagant parties that everyone goes to; but yet nobody knows a thing about him. Nick who happens to be related to Gatsby’s love, Daisy, is his neighbor. Gatsby invites Nick to come to one of his parties one evening where he finally meets the man he is so curious of. Nick and Gatsby over time become more acquainted with one another and Nick progressively learns more and more about who Gatsby really is. Gatsby and Nick live on West Egg which is considered the less-fashionable side. On the other side lives Tom and Daisy; the married couple with lots of money. There is also Jordan who is a professional golfer who happens to be Daisy’s friend, and goes to Gatsby’s parties. It was through Nick and Jordan that Gatsby planned a tea party at Nick’s house where he could reunite with his obsession Daisy. Daisy goes to Nick’s house and is brought to tears to see Gatsby enter the room. She is brought to tears and this is when the spark between Daisy and Gatsby is rekindled. She is surprised to see the money and huge house that now belongs to Gatsby when he is giving her a tour of his house. Daisy is happy and the two become more infatuated with one another as every second passes. They pick up right where they left off a long time ago. The situation becomes tricky because Daisy loves Gatsby but she is married to Tom. Tom on the other hand is married to Daisy but when he goes on trips to New York he is having an affair with a woman named Myrtle who is also married. Nick knows about the affair but doesn’t tell Daisy about it. Since the meeting between Daisy and Gatsby they met frequently whether it was at Gatsby’s party or at Daisy’s house. Daisy was a different person when she was with Gatsby and she was much happier. One evening when everyone including Gatsby was at Daisy’s house for drinks they all decided to take a trip down to New York. Tom has noticed the flirtations between his wife and Gatsby which has not made him happy. Whenever Gatsby is in Tom’s presence he becomes irritated. On the way down Daisy rides with Gatsby while Jordan and Nick ride with Tom. This makes Tom angry to see all the flirtation between his wife and this suspicious guy. In New York they are in a hotel having drinks when an argument breaks out between Tom and Gatsby. Tom tells everyone how he has heard that Gatsby is involved in illegal activity, how he lives such a secretive life, and that he isn’t the man he seems to be. Gatsby retaliates by saying how Daisy never loved Tom and how she is leaving Tom for him. Daisy breaks down in tears and says that she never really loved Tom. She tells Gatsby to look what he made her do. After the argument and the tears they decide to go back home. On the way back home Daisy and Gatsby leave first and when they are passing the garage where Myrtle lives she runs out in the middle of the road to escape her husband Wilson and is hit by Daisy. She keeps on going as she leaves the seen of the crime. Tom goes by the garage later to find out that his lover was killed and her husband Wilson was mourning. Enraged by her death Wilson confronts Tom later suspecting that he was the one who ran over his wife. Scared for his li**fe To**m tells Wilson the car didn’t belong to him and that it belonged to Gatsby. Wilson went to Gatsby’s house and shot and killed him while he was swimming in his pool. After he killed Gatsby Wilson killed himself. Nick had told Gatsby that if someone traced the car back to him that he could be in danger but he told him that he didn’t need to worry. The death came as a shock to Nick, and he planned a funeral for Gats **by but** nobody really showed up but Gatsby’s father because he really didn’t have any friends or family. Daisy was off on a trip with Tom somewhere and she didn’t know about his death. After the funeral Nick decides to leave West Egg and leave everything else behind him.


 * Look at the underlined word!!!! **

Visions of the American Dream percieved by the Characters
Nick- The American Dream for Nick was just to be successful in the bonds business. He left the west to come east to learn everything he could about bonds. He wound up in West Egg Village in some little house among mansions. Nick didn’t care about being rich and **have** lots of things. He was comfortable in his little house and his little business not making much money. All he wanted was to learn about bonds and become more of a “well rounded” man.

Tom and Daisy- Tom and Daisy’s life consisted of lots of money. Daisy comes from a small town in Louisville and her dream was to marry someone with great wealth. She loved Gatsby but she couldn’t marry him because he didn’t have what she was looking for financially. While he was away at war her knight in shining armor came along, Tom, who came from a wealthy background. She decided to marry Tom and she then had what she had been looking for which was someone who had lots of money who she did love a little. Her American Dream was fulfilled. She decided not to sit around and wait for Gatsby to come back with newfound fortune. Living in high class was what she wanted and it made her happy. Tom **on the other hand wa**s the typically wealthy American man. He married a beauty who made him happy and with his riches he was able to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Their life consisted of splurging off their wealth. Also Tom had a mistress on the side which he could attain with his wealth. His American Dream consisted of doing whatever he wanted and not having to worry about a thing.

Wilson- Wilson’s American Dream was to get married to someone he loved and living a laid back life. He was po**or, work**ed very hard. He also loved his wife and he would do anything to make her happy. All Wilson wanted was to live his life and share it with his significant other. Wilson had no problem living overtop of the car garage that he owned for 11 years. He worked hard at his job and did everything he could to make money. He cared nothing about riches and material things too much. He just took what life dealt him. **This is more PLOT!!!**

Gatsby- Gatsb**y out of all the characters had** truly lived the American Dream. He was poor as a young man. He was also in love with someone he cared deeply abo**ut bu**t she didn’t marry him because he wasn’t wealthy. He left for war only to return to see that his true love had married someone else who was very wealthy. After this he had made it his obsession to become wealthy and come back to steal his heart Daisy. The dream for Gatsby was for him and Daisy to live happily together. In order for that he needed to have money. He acquired his money illegally but it didn’t matter to him because he wanted Daisy. His obsession indirectly caused his death. He wanted something that he couldn’t have any longer. He was indeed striving for his American Dream only for it to become cut short.

American Classic-

 * From my point of view I believe this book is considered a Great American Classic because it embodies the American dream, but it approaches it in an unorthodox way.** The general American Dream for this time period was to get rich. During this time you had the new money and the old money. The old money looked down upon the noveau riche people. Gatsby was newly rich person and his journey from the beginning to end was living up to what everyone wanted which was the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald shines light on the fact that the **americaan** dream __isn't all what it is cut out to be__. Everyone sees the Dream having a happy ending. In Gatsby's case he strived for the American Dream in his ey**es but** his obsession only led to his death. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the readers how the American Dream isn't always so positive and that it could end up negatively. Fitzgerald also had a particular way of using is narrator in the story that wasn't used very often. The main character and narrator Nick didn't really embody all the qualities that we expect from a main character. In the book he was not a big player who's life we followed but instead an observer.Just as the narrator in the short novel __Castle Rackrent__ observed all the events surrounding him Fitzgerald used the same method. __The Great Gatsby__ would also be considered a Great American Classic because it portrays all the features of the time period such as the dance, excess in money, and dress. This book truly is representative of America and this exciting time period.

Link for The __Great Gatsby__ GoogleDocs page
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