The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was an incredible book which focused on the lifestyle of the rich and wealthy in the 1920s, and how society and the "american dream" trapped a man in a lovesick world he couldn't escape.

The book starts off by introducing Nick Carraway, as he moves into West Egg, next door to the mysterious Mr. Gatsby. One night, Nick drives over to see his cousin, Daisy, who lives in the elite East Egg. He learns that night about Tom's, Daisy's husband, affair from Jordan Baker, who later becomes his love interest throughout the story. A few days later Tom takes Nick to visit his mistress in New York and Nick begins to understand more about the life of people like Tom and Daisy. Meanwhile, Mr. Gatsby is throwing his famously over-the-top parties back in West Egg, which Nick later on gets invited to and has the pleasure of meeting Mr. Gatsby. Nick soon learns that Gatsby and Daisy once had a romantic relationship and that Gatsby is still in love with her. He sets up a meet-up between Gatsby and Daisy, and as they connect Daisy realizes her feelings for Gatsby and their love affair begins. Tom starts to catch on to the love affair and anger overtakes him. He confronts Gatsby and Daisy about it and about how Gatsby's money was made illegally. Daisy ends up staying with Tom. On the way home, a horrible car crash occurs by the car driven by Daisy. Daisy runs over Tom's mistress. Gatsby takes the blame for the crash, and Tom uses that information to tell the mistress' husband. The husband ends up killing Gatsby because he assumes that Gatsby was her love interest. After Gatsby's death, Nick arranges a funeral and heads back home, disgusted with the people in both West Egg and East Egg.

Nick lived in a world in which money was everything and social class and living the "american dream" was what mattered to people. Even though Gatsby did turn into a wealthy person who did in fact live the "american dream", it wasn't just society who did that, it was Daisy. Society had turned her into someone who wanted wealth and somebody to love her each and every second of the day. Gatsby could only do one of those things, so when Tom, someone who loved her relentlessly which tons of money, came along, she happily married him leaving Gatsby behind. The "american dream" of happiness was mixed with wealth and that's what corrupted Daisy, and then Gatsby. In order to win Daisy's heart he became wealthy. He then did capture her heart, therefore for it to be taken away when a scandal came along, that could jeopardize that wealth. Gatsby was just lost in a world of money and social class, dragged in helplessly because of love. And he got so far deep in it, there soon was no way out, which in some ways, got him killed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the themes of society and wealth were interesting and the characters were fun to read about.