Book Report

BOOK REPORT CHIE TSUCHIYA
1) MLA CITATION
Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: PENGUIN BOOKS, 1950

2) PLOT
The story is told by a young man, Nick Caraways who moved from west to east, and unfolds focusing mainly on Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby is a man of around 30. He became rich from poor condition and was holding gorgeous party every weekend at his gorgeous house at West Egg. For this party, he drove guests by Rolls-Royce or Station Wagon, and on Monday, his 8 servants cleaned up the mess.
There was a house of Tom and Daisy at East Egg. Gatsby loved Daisy once and still loves her. He met Daisy 5 years ago and they loved each other, but when Gatsby went to the front and was demobilized from France, she got married to rich man, Tom. However, they were in discord each other.
Gatsby who couldn’t reconcile his heart to Daisy, tried hard to be rich enough to erect mansion and hold fancy party, waiting his chance to meet her. Nick was living next to his house and was Daisy’s cousin. So he was asked to act as a go-between for Gatsby and Daisy.
His dream that meet Daisy again as an equal position has come true and it seemed everything work, but the love was fragile and frail. Their reunion was actually the end of the dream and the beginning of the tragedy for him.
Eventually romantic dream of Gatsby and realistic calculation of Daisy were exclusive. Finally he was shot by misunderstanding.
Contrastive to that brilliant party, few people including Nick came to his funeral. Even Daisy didn’t come.
Gatsby has a strong will. He thinks it’s not difficult to become rich only to marry the one he loves and makes up for the blank of 5 years. His heart is almost occupied by Daisy and that made no one to come in. That’s why he has solitary aura.
While the narrator, Nick Caraways was told by his father when he was young that “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that al the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Because of that he is a man of control of himself. However, he was gradually in favor of Gatsby who is too supple sometimes. I think that Nick was an only true friend for Gatsby.
After reading this book I felt really empty. Gatsby was picturing Daisy as a princess living in a palace or perfect girl while five years, but it was different figure from actual Daisy. Besides although it’s old story, it has universality which lead to our generation　and I was really impressed.


3) 7 LITERARY TERMS
1. Setting: The time is set in the 1920’s, when World War Ⅰ was over. The location is in America.

2. Point of view: the story is told from first person.

3. Conflict: Man versus himself. Gatsby has been waiting for his girlfriend for 5 years without any clue.

4. Climax: It suddenly happened, soon after Myrtle Wilson, who is George Wilson’s wife and Tom Buchanan’s mistress dyed by car accident. Tom told George wrong idea that Gatsby hit her. Finally, George shot Gatsby before committing suicide.

5. Symbol: His big and gorgeous house expresses his love for Daisy. By erecting such house and opening luxurious party every day, he thought Daisy would come back.

6. Irony: While Gatsby went to the front, Daisy got married to rich man, Tom. However, she was tired of being furniture of gorgeous life with him and wanted free love. Yet Gatsby tried hart to be rich and he did, because he knew her marriage and thought the only way to bring her back would be money.

7. Theme: We cannot live just by passion or love and confidence in oneself.

4) REFLECTING ON THE STORY
It was really difficult to read, so I couldn’t understand some points. Especially when Daisy visited Gatsby’s mansion first and saw his new shirts, she cried saying “They’re such beautiful shirts, it makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful shirts before.” I have no idea why she cried and said such words.
We usually control ourselves like Nick, but Gatsby devoted himself to Daisy. I can’t understand such powerful and pure passion, but I thought it’s really romantic to be loved by such person.
I learned a lot from this story. At first I couldn’t figure out what Nick’s father meant in “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that al the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” as written in plot. However, after reading I could figure out. His father knew that living life as usual; means naturally is not as easy as one think. Besides I liked the last sentence: “… so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” which left sorrowful reverberation. I think that it’s not only symbolizing Nick’s unexpected life without Gatsby but also unseen future of the 20 century, after the WWⅠ.