The Great Gatsby.docx

The Great Gatsby.docx

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TheGreatGatsby

TheGreatGatsby

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Thisarticleisaboutthenovel.Forthefilm,TVandoperaadaptations,seeTheGreatGatsby（disambiguation）.

TheGreatGatsby

Coverofthefirstedition（1925）

Author

F.ScottFitzgerald

Coverartist

FrancisCugat

Country

UnitedStates

Language

English

Genre

Novel

Published

10April1925（CharlesScribner'sSons）

Mediatype

Print（hardback&paperback）

Pages

218pages

ISBN

NA&reissueISBN0-7432-7356-7（2004paperbackedition）

TheGreatGatsbyisa1925novelwrittenbyAmericanauthorF.ScottFitzgeraldthatfollowsacastofcharacterslivinginthefictionaltownofWestEggonprosperousLongIslandinthesummerof1922.ThestoryprimarilyconcernstheyoungandmysteriousmillionaireJayGatsbyandhisquixoticpassionforthebeautifulDaisyBuchanan.ConsideredtobeFitzgerald'smagnumopus,TheGreatGatsbyexploresthemesofdecadence,idealism,resistancetochange,socialupheaval,andexcess,creatingaportraitoftheJazzAgeortheRoaringTwentiesthathasbeendescribedasacautionarytaleregardingtheAmericanDream.[1][2]

Fitzgerald,inspiredbythepartieshehadattendedwhilevisitingLongIsland'snorthshore,beganplanningthenovelin1923desiringtoproduce,inhiswords,"somethingnew—somethingextraordinaryandbeautifulandsimpleandintricatelypatterned."[3]ProgresswasslowwithFitzgeraldcompletinghisfirstdraftfollowingamovetotheFrenchRivierain1924.Hiseditor,MaxwellPerkins,feltthebookwastoovagueandconvincedtheauthortoreviseoverthenextwinter.Fitzgeraldwasambivalentaboutthebook'stitle,atvarioustimeswishingtore-titlethenovelTrimalchioinWestEgg.

FirstpublishedbyScribner'sinApril1925,TheGreatGatsbyreceivedmixedreviewsandsoldpoorly;initsfirstyear,thebooksoldonly20,000copies.Fitzgeralddiedin1940,believinghimselftobeafailureandhisworkforgotten.Hiswork,spearheadedbyTheGreatGatsby,experiencedarevivalduringWorldWarII,andthenovelbecameapartofAmericanhighschoolcurriculainthefollowingdecades.Thebookhasremainedpopularsince,leadingtonumerousstageandfilmadaptations.TheGreatGatsbyiswidelyconsideredtobealiteraryclassicandacontenderforthetitle"GreatAmericanNovel".ThebookisconsistentlyrankedamongthegreatestworksofAmericanliterature.In1998theModernLibraryeditorialboardvoteditthebestAmericannovelandthesecondbestnovelintheEnglishlanguage.[citationneeded]

Contents

[hide]

∙1Historicalcontext

2Plotsummary

o2.1Majorcharacters

∙3Writingandproduction

∙4Coverart

∙5Title

∙6Themes

∙7Reception

∙8Legacyandmodernanalysis

∙9Adaptations

∙10Seealso

∙11Notes

12References

o12.1Bibliography

∙13Externallinks

Historicalcontext[edit]

SetintheprosperousLongIslandof1922,TheGreatGatsbyprovidesacriticalsocialhistoryofAmericaduringtheRoaringTwentieswithinitsnarrative.Thatera,knownforunprecedentedeconomicprosperity,theevolutionofjazzmusic,flapperculture,andbootleggingandothercriminalactivity,isplausiblydepictedinFitzgerald'snovel.Fitzgeraldutilizesthesesocietaldevelopmentsofthe1920stobuildGatsby'sstoriesfromsimpledetailslikeautomobilestobroaderthemeslikeFitzgerald'sdiscreetallusionstotheorganizedcrimeculturewhichwasthesourceofGatsby'sfortune.[4]FitzgeraldeducateshisreadersaboutthegarishsocietyoftheRoaringTwentiesbyplacingatimeless,relatableplotlinewithinthehistoricalcontextoftheera.[5]

Fitzgerald'svisitstoLongIsland'snorthshoreandhisexperienceattendingpartiesatmansionsinspiredTheGreatGatsby'ssetting.Todaythereareanumberoftheoriesastowhichmansionwastheinspirationforthebook.OnepossibilityisLand'sEnd,anotableGoldCoastMansionwhereFitzgeraldmayhaveattendedaparty.[6]ManyoftheeventsinFitzgerald'searlylifearereflectedthroughoutTheGreatGatsby.FitzgeraldwasayoungmanfromMinnesota,andlikeNick,hewaseducatedatanIvyLeagueschool（inNick'scaseYale.）FitzgeraldisalsosimilartoJayGatsby,ashefellinlovewhilestationedinthemilitaryandfellintoalifeofdecadencetryingtoprovehimselftothegirlheloves.Fitzgeraldbecameasecondlieutenant,andwasstationedatCampSheridan,inMontgomery,Alabama.Therehemetandfellinlovewithawildseventeen-year-oldbeautynamedZeldaSayre.Zeldafinallyagreedtomarryhim,butheroverpoweringdesireforwealth,fun,andleisureledhertodelaytheirweddinguntilhecouldproveasuccess.[7]LikeNickinTheGreatGatsby,Fitzgeraldfoundthisnewlifestyleseductiveandexciting,and,likeGatsby,hehadalwaysidolizedtheveryrich.[7]Inmanyways,TheGreatGatsbyrepresentsFitzgerald’sattempttoconfronthisconflictingfeelingsabouttheJazzAge.LikeGatsby,Fitzgeraldwasdrivenbyhisloveforawomanwhosymbolizedeverythinghewanted,evenassheledhimtowardeverythinghedespised.[7]

Plotsummary[edit]

Themaineventsofthenoveltakeplaceinthesummerof1922.NickCarraway,aYalegraduateandWorldWarIveteranfromtheMidwest–whoservesasthenovel'snarrator–takesajobinNewYorkasabondsalesman.HerentsasmallhouseonLongIsland,inthe（fictional）villageofWestEgg,nextdoortothelavishmansionofJayGatsby,amysteriousmillionairewhoholdsextravagantpartiesbutdoesnotparticipateinthem.NickdrivesaroundthebaytoEastEggfordinneratthehomeofhiscousin,DaisyFayBuchanan,andherhusband,Tom,acollegeacquaintanceofNick's.TheyintroduceNicktoJordanBaker,anattractive,cynicalyounggolferwithwhomNickbeginsaromanticrelationship.SherevealstoNickthatTomhasamistress,MyrtleWilson,wholivesinthe"valleyofashes":

anindustrialdumpinggroundbetweenWestEggandNewYorkCity.Notlongafterthisrevelation,NicktravelstoNewYorkCitywithTomandMyrtletoanapartmenttheykeepfortheiraffair.Attheapartment,avulgarandbizarrepartytakesplace.ItendswithTombreakingMyrtle'snoseaftersheannoyshimbysayingDaisy'snameseveraltimes.

ThePlazaHotelintheearly1920s

Asthesummerprogresses,NickeventuallyreceivesaninvitationtooneofGatsby'sparties.NickencountersJordanBakerattheparty,andtheymeetGatsbyhimself,analoofandsurprisinglyyoungmanwhorecognizesNickfromtheirsamedivisioninthewar.ThroughJordan,NicklaterlearnsthatGatsbyknewDaisyfroma'onenightstand'encounterin1917andisdeeplyinlovewithher.Hespendsmanynightsstaringatthegreenlightattheendofherdock,acrossthebayfromhismansion,hopingtoonedayrekindletheirlostromance.Gatsby'sextravagantlifestyleandwildpartiesareanattempttoimpressDaisyinthehopesthatshewillonedayappearagainatGatsby'sdoorstep.GatsbynowwantsNicktoarrangeareunionbetweenhimselfandDaisy.NickinvitesDaisytohaveteaathishouse,withouttellingherthatGatsbywillalsobethere.Afteraninitiallyawkwardreunion,GatsbyandDaisyreestablishtheirconnection.Theybeginanaffairand,afterashorttime,Tomgrowsincreasinglysuspiciousofhiswife'srelationshipwithGatsby.AtaluncheonattheBuchanans'house,DaisyspeakstoGatsbywithsuchundisguisedintimacythatTomrealizessheisinlovewithGatsby.ThoughTomishimselfinvolvedinanextramaritalaffair,heisoutragedbyhiswife'sinfidelity.HeforcesthegrouptodriveintoNewYorkCityandconfrontsGatsbyinasuiteatthePlazaHotel,assertingthatheandDaisyhaveahistorythatGatsbycouldneverunderstand.Inadditiontothat,heannouncestohiswifethatGatsbyisacriminalwhosefortunecomesfrombootleggingalcoholandotherillegalactivities.DaisyrealizesthatherallegianceistoTom,andTomcontemptuouslysendsherbacktoEastEggwithGatsby,attemptingtoprovethatGatsbycannothurthim.

WhenNick,Jordan,andTomdrivethroughthevalleyofashesontheirwayhome,theydiscoverthatGatsby'scarhasstruckandkilledTom'smistress,Myrtle.NicklaterlearnsfromGatsbythatDaisy,notGatsbyhimself,wasdrivingthecaratthetimeoftheaccidentbutGatsbyintendstotaketheblameanyway.Myrtle'shusband,George,falselyconcludesthatthedriveroftheyellowcaristhesecretloverherecentlybegansuspectingshehas,andsetsoutonfoottolocateitsowner.AfterfindingouttheyellowcarisGatsby's,hearrivesatGatsby'smansionwherehefatallyshootsbothGatsbyandthenhimself.NickstagesanunsettlinglysmallfuneralforGatsby,endshisrelationshipwithJordan,andmovesbacktotheMidwestdisillusionedwiththeEasternlifestyle.

Majorcharacters[edit]

∙NickCarraway–aYalegraduateoriginatingfromtheMidwest,aWorldWarIveteran,and,atthestartoftheplot,anewlyarrivedresidentofWestEgg,whoisaged29（later30）.Healsoservesasthefirst-personnarratorofthenovel.HeisGatsby'snext-doorneighborandabondsalesman.Heiseasy-going,occasionallysarcastic,andsomewhatoptimistic,althoughthislatterqualityfadesasthenovelprogresses.

∙JayGatsby（originallyJames"Jimmy"Gatz）–ayoung,mysteriousmillionairewithshadybusinessconnections（laterrevealedtobeabootlegger）,originallyfromNorthDakota.HeisobsessedwithDaisyBuchanan,whomhehadmetwhenhewasayoungofficerstationedintheSouthduringWorldWarI.ThecharacterisbasedonthebootleggerandformerWorldWarIofficerMaxGerlach,accordingtoSomeSortofEpicGrandeur,MatthewJ.Bruccoli'sbiographyofF.ScottFitzgerald.GatsbyissaidtohavebrieflystudiedatTrinityCollege,Oxford