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jessiepope 's review for:
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I want so badly to be not-like-other-readers and dislike this book but I CANTTTT, I’m too busy being borne ceaselessly into the past :///
there is one line in this that I cannot stop thinking about. This is after Myrtle has been slaughtered in a hit in run that, at this time, Nick believes Gatsby is responsible for. Gatsby is rambling about Daisy's reaction, Daisy's feelings, whether or not they can get away with it. And Nick looks at him and thinks, "I disliked him so much by this time that I didn't find it necessary to tell him he was wrong." I don't think this is an entirely accurate representation of Nick's headspace at this time.
Nick Carraway, as evidenced by so many convincing speculative essays that it is impossible to keep track, is infatuated with Gatsby. Regardless of whether or not you believe that his love for him was romantic, there is no denying that it was idolatrous. Up to this point, nor at any point in the rest of the book, does Nick disagree with Gatsby or do anything that could upset him. He can look back at this moment and think, "Yeah I just didn't say anything because I was sooooo angry at him and of course he already knew that he was wrong so I didn't need to". But the real reason why he doesn't say anything here is because he is a coward and a fool and sick to death with love for this man who does not and will not love him back. And does Gatsby even know he is wrong here? There is no indication that he has a clear moral compass, or a moral compass at all for that matter. Nick has described him lovingly and fantastically, but has not let the reader in on his character, who he truly is, outside of his incredible and unexplainable quirks.
Nick wishes desperately to be perceived as a good and likeable person, not only by Gatsby but by us as the readers. This sentence shows how he achieves this with Gatsby (by not speaking his mind and repremanding a man for SLAUGHTERING A WOMAN AND THEN JUST DRIVING OFF) and with us, by portraying himself, still, somehow, as someone who does understand justice and does think murder is a no-no and ugh he really hates murder guys! He does!
Anyways. I think this book is truly a gem, I can definitely see myself rereading it more. I feel like this was my first time REALLY reading it, even though I read it once in high school (skimmed it) and listened to the audiobook in college (while doing other things). I love the intentionality of the writing and the meaning that fitzgerald packs into every sentence, every sentence deserves to be pondered and picked apart and analyzed. This is the sentence that stood out to me on this reread, I'm excited to see what's next.
Another sentence that stood out to me (regarding the "creation" of Jay Gatsby by James Gatz): "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end."
This perfectly describes the kind of performance that Gatsby puts on, not only for others but for himself as well. It made me more empathetic towards him, like maybe the green light that he was reaching for wasn't Daisy after all, but the approval of his younger self. Approval of himself, from himself.
Also Jordan Baker's "I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy."
Jordan is someone that we do not get to know very well at all. She comes across as cool and reserved, almost untouchable, even while being the main character's love interest of sorts. I think this line encapsulates another aspect of American society that was true when this was written and is still true a century later - the stubborn rejection of true intimacy. Yes, there is something to be said about the intimacy of a side conversation with a special someone at a big party. But I think the reason why she prefers this to a small party is because then she never has to be truly alone with someone, there is never an opportunity to have a deep and meaningful conversation because the orchestra is too loud and the someone is making a toast and the host wants to speak with you privately. She craves this, more than a small gathering of true friends, because to experience true intimacy is to allow someone to see past her cool and untouchable presentation, and that idea is absolutely unbearable.
ALSO some odd similarities with my favorite movie:
- Hunter Strawberry as some mysterious larger-than-life guy who has rumors flying around about who he is, where he came from, what he's done; but there is one rumor that sticks out consistently from the rest: "I heard he killed a man."
- His death is not his fault
- His funeral is sparsely attended and that's really sad
there is one line in this that I cannot stop thinking about. This is after Myrtle has been slaughtered in a hit in run that, at this time, Nick believes Gatsby is responsible for. Gatsby is rambling about Daisy's reaction, Daisy's feelings, whether or not they can get away with it. And Nick looks at him and thinks, "I disliked him so much by this time that I didn't find it necessary to tell him he was wrong." I don't think this is an entirely accurate representation of Nick's headspace at this time.
Nick Carraway, as evidenced by so many convincing speculative essays that it is impossible to keep track, is infatuated with Gatsby. Regardless of whether or not you believe that his love for him was romantic, there is no denying that it was idolatrous. Up to this point, nor at any point in the rest of the book, does Nick disagree with Gatsby or do anything that could upset him. He can look back at this moment and think, "Yeah I just didn't say anything because I was sooooo angry at him and of course he already knew that he was wrong so I didn't need to". But the real reason why he doesn't say anything here is because he is a coward and a fool and sick to death with love for this man who does not and will not love him back. And does Gatsby even know he is wrong here? There is no indication that he has a clear moral compass, or a moral compass at all for that matter. Nick has described him lovingly and fantastically, but has not let the reader in on his character, who he truly is, outside of his incredible and unexplainable quirks.
Nick wishes desperately to be perceived as a good and likeable person, not only by Gatsby but by us as the readers. This sentence shows how he achieves this with Gatsby (by not speaking his mind and repremanding a man for SLAUGHTERING A WOMAN AND THEN JUST DRIVING OFF) and with us, by portraying himself, still, somehow, as someone who does understand justice and does think murder is a no-no and ugh he really hates murder guys! He does!
Anyways. I think this book is truly a gem, I can definitely see myself rereading it more. I feel like this was my first time REALLY reading it, even though I read it once in high school (skimmed it) and listened to the audiobook in college (while doing other things). I love the intentionality of the writing and the meaning that fitzgerald packs into every sentence, every sentence deserves to be pondered and picked apart and analyzed. This is the sentence that stood out to me on this reread, I'm excited to see what's next.
Another sentence that stood out to me (regarding the "creation" of Jay Gatsby by James Gatz): "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end."
This perfectly describes the kind of performance that Gatsby puts on, not only for others but for himself as well. It made me more empathetic towards him, like maybe the green light that he was reaching for wasn't Daisy after all, but the approval of his younger self. Approval of himself, from himself.
Also Jordan Baker's "I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy."
Jordan is someone that we do not get to know very well at all. She comes across as cool and reserved, almost untouchable, even while being the main character's love interest of sorts. I think this line encapsulates another aspect of American society that was true when this was written and is still true a century later - the stubborn rejection of true intimacy. Yes, there is something to be said about the intimacy of a side conversation with a special someone at a big party. But I think the reason why she prefers this to a small party is because then she never has to be truly alone with someone, there is never an opportunity to have a deep and meaningful conversation because the orchestra is too loud and the someone is making a toast and the host wants to speak with you privately. She craves this, more than a small gathering of true friends, because to experience true intimacy is to allow someone to see past her cool and untouchable presentation, and that idea is absolutely unbearable.
ALSO some odd similarities with my favorite movie:
- Hunter Strawberry as some mysterious larger-than-life guy who has rumors flying around about who he is, where he came from, what he's done; but there is one rumor that sticks out consistently from the rest: "I heard he killed a man."
- His death is not his fault
- His funeral is sparsely attended and that's really sad