The Great Gatsby
question
Who is everyone's favourite character so far in the Great Gatsby?
Nick Carraway, because the entire novel is presented through his naive clouded vision.
Nick's judgement is clouded by his overblown admiration for Jay Gatsby such that: a) he allows Gatsby to use him to gain access to his intended paramour, Nick's cousin Daisy b) he overlooked Gatsby's lies about the origins of his wealth and family; c) he overlooks Gatsby's criminal peddling of illicit securities (bonds), indeed, even when Gatsby tries multiple times to recruit him; and d) he even supplies Gatsby with an alibi--suggesting Daisy drove the car--after Gatsby murdered Myrtle.
Nick's naive overblown admiration for Jay Gatsby symbolizes the overblown admiration and extreme naivete of the average Roaring '20s American toward wealthy entrepreneurs during the run-up to the Crash of '29 that triggered the Great Depression of the 1930s and subsequent reforms of the securities industry.
Even after intercepting the phone call from Slagel proving Gatsby was a key player in a bond scam, instead of backing away from Gatsby to avoid getting tainted, Nick makes Gatsby's funeral arrangements and tries to round up people to attend. People stay away from the funeral in droves. Why? Because they know or suspect Gatsby is the crook he is.
Nick was giddy toward Jay Gatsby. He was irrationally loyal. He would have laid down in the street and let him roll back and forth over him with the yellow Rolls Royce he killed Myrtle with if Gatsby had snapped his fingers.
By presenting readers with a grossly naive character like Nick, Fitzgerald gave us a cautionary tale about the vulnerability of the American public to the endemic corruption of Wall Street that persists to this day, embodied in people like Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Bernard Madoff and other such crooked dealers who've "made-off" with millions in booty illegally extracted from the trusting public.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Nick's judgement is clouded by his overblown admiration for Jay Gatsby such that: a) he allows Gatsby to use him to gain access to his intended paramour, Nick's cousin Daisy b) he overlooked Gatsby's lies about the origins of his wealth and family; c) he overlooks Gatsby's criminal peddling of illicit securities (bonds), indeed, even when Gatsby tries multiple times to recruit him; and d) he even supplies Gatsby with an alibi--suggesting Daisy drove the car--after Gatsby murdered Myrtle.
Nick's naive overblown admiration for Jay Gatsby symbolizes the overblown admiration and extreme naivete of the average Roaring '20s American toward wealthy entrepreneurs during the run-up to the Crash of '29 that triggered the Great Depression of the 1930s and subsequent reforms of the securities industry.
Even after intercepting the phone call from Slagel proving Gatsby was a key player in a bond scam, instead of backing away from Gatsby to avoid getting tainted, Nick makes Gatsby's funeral arrangements and tries to round up people to attend. People stay away from the funeral in droves. Why? Because they know or suspect Gatsby is the crook he is.
Nick was giddy toward Jay Gatsby. He was irrationally loyal. He would have laid down in the street and let him roll back and forth over him with the yellow Rolls Royce he killed Myrtle with if Gatsby had snapped his fingers.
By presenting readers with a grossly naive character like Nick, Fitzgerald gave us a cautionary tale about the vulnerability of the American public to the endemic corruption of Wall Street that persists to this day, embodied in people like Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Bernard Madoff and other such crooked dealers who've "made-off" with millions in booty illegally extracted from the trusting public.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Spot on, Monty.
However mine is Gatsby's father, Mr.Gatz. He's the only decent character in the book. There are no faults there.
However mine is Gatsby's father, Mr.Gatz. He's the only decent character in the book. There are no faults there.
George Wilson. Poor guy.
Monty J Heying
I like Wilson too. He was totally devoted to a sexy wife who didn't deserve him.
...more
· flag
· flag
Agreed about Mr. Gatz, but I quite like Klingenhoffer.
Monty J Heying
Klipspringer, actually. I like him too. A dazzling talent who cares about his dance shoes more than Gatsby. Has his priorities in line.
· flag
· flag
Daisy, definitely daisy. I felt everything she did and said and yet I was still so mad at her in the end- But she's my favorite character because she is so well written and almost real, real in a romanticized way
My favourite character is probably Daisy because there is a love-hate relationship between her and me. I love her for being so graceful and kind, but I hate her for being so shallow and superficial. Most say I should hate her for killing Myrtle but Myrtle was one of my least favourite characters so I say good riddance.
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
