The Great Gatsby was much different than what I expected. Though I knew it would deal with the wealth and extravagance of the 1920’s the ending caught me off guard. The moral was quite clear: money can’t buy everything. I was very intrigued by Jay Gatsby; it was almost disappointing that he made his money bootlegging. All the mystery surrounding him could have led to such a creative background. I guess the simplicity of Mr. Gatsby’s fortune serves the purpose of showing the shallowness of the time. I would have liked for Gatsby to have gotten closer to Daisy before he died. The book made Tom look like a terrible person and by the end of the book I was rooting for Gatsby. It was interesting how Gatsby, exuding money and confidence would become just an average nervous man trying to get the girl of his dreams. Perhaps the nervous Gatsby was the old James Gatz showing through. Overall I liked the book’s insight into the extravagance of an era and how it showed the downside to a life full of money and ease.
posted by Matt S.