Month: September 2023

One of the greatest questions in the literary world is “Is the book or the movie better?” Let’s decide this for the case of The Great Gatsby. Even thought the novel is one of America’s greatest, it was definitely not an instant success. In fact, it took until World War II for it to become well know.

The book is told from the viewpoint of Nick Carraway. The book is actually being told two years after the instances being relayed. This is different from the movie. When the movie starts, Nick is in some sort of institution getting treated for what seems to be depression and alcoholism. His doctor is telling him to write about his story to help him get out of his funk. The whole movie is then told from the institution. 

Another big difference is found in the characters; specifically in Jordan Baker. In the book we are able to learn quite a bit about Jordan; we know she is dishonest, a cheater, has some sort of romance with Nick, and many other things. In the book, Jordans character is almost unlikable to a point. In the movie, we barley dive into Jordan’s character. Nick and her do not have any sort of romance and she is basically a blank canvas. To me, Jordan is more likeable in the movie than the book.

Another character that is different between the books and the movies is Daisy. In the books Daisy has a certain charm about her, but she does not care what her actions do to the people around her. In the movie, she acts like a victim. Instead of just being careless, she almost seems to just be thoughtless. Daisy’s character in the movie does not have that spark that the readers find in the book.
Tom also has some difference between the book and the movie. In the book, Tom is an unlikeable guy. He cheats on his wife, throws Gatsby under the bus, and does not seem to have any remorse, but he still seems to be human. In the movie, Tom seems like a ruthless villain by the end. He makes Gatsby out to seem like a ruthless murderer giving Wilson almost no choice but to revenge his wifes death. While Tom is not likable in either forms of The Great Gatsby, I think he is more humanless in the movie.

Now a character that I think is extremely well done in both the book and the moive is Jay Gatsby. Leonardo DiCaprio is the definition of The Great Gatsby. He gives off the same charm and charisma that readers and viewers both have know to love. Gatsby is the hopeless romantic in both forms of media and everyone can love him and feel for his situation. While I think both versions of The Great Gatsby are well done, there is only one true winner in my heart and that is the book. Nothing can beat the timeless classic that Fitzgerald wrote. The detail of the characters and the many different ways the novel can be interpreted make it the clear winner in my eyes.

We all have come to know and love The Great Gatsby, but what is it that makes him so great? Gatsby sure made himself seem significant. He has all the glitz and glamour of a fabulous life. Gatsby had a grand mansion, luxurious parties, vital connections, and alcohol. To an outsider, it would seem that Gatsby had it all; but did he really?

When we first meet Gatsby, we would think that he is everything greatness consists of, but nothing we see is real. Everything Gatsby does is fabricated all for one person: Daisy. If Gatsby has to live his entire life in a reality that is not his own, that does not seem very great to me. Sure, Gatsby does seem to have fun living his lifestyle, but behind closed doors, when he is all alone, does he think it is worth it? When you go to bed alone every night with no true friends, I would not define that as great. 

All of the lavishness aside, Gatsby was indeed just a hopeless romantic looking for love. He lived his life for someone else and never got a chance to just be him. If Gatsby had done as he truly pleased in life, then he could be defined as great. As we get to know Gatsby’s true heart throughout the book, we come to love him. If he had opened up to the world, he might have had people at his funeral besides Nick, his dad, and the random people he never paid attention to. We can all learn from Gatsby’s life. If we need to perform for the people around us to keep them in our lives, those are not true friends. 

Gatsby died almost entirely alone, without the girl he had fabricated his whole life for; there is nothing remarkable about that. Gatsby made people think he was great, but ultimately, is greatness defined by your net worth or an authentic life?

Chandelier, Pintrest, Accessed September 10 2023, https://pin.it/5HcfcXB.

If you’re like me, you might be wondering, how is “The Great Gatsby” still relevant today? Some people might say it’s because of the movie, but why did the producers think “The Great Gatsby” was famous enough to deserve a movie? To discuss this, we must go back to when “The Great Gatsby” first emerged in 1925. When F. Scott Fitzgerald originally released his book, it was not an instant hit. Most people said it did not stand up to his past books. In fact, it was never a hit in his lifetime. Fitzgerald passed away in 1940, believing himself to be a failure in the author world. “The Great Gatsby” did not become famous until the time of World War II. The book experienced an abrupt surge in popularity because the books were passed out to soldiers.

All this being said, why is “The Great Gatsby” still famous almost eight centuries after it became popular? Some people say it’s because of how the book portrays the “American Dream.” The American Dream” is the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. In simple terms, anyone can get what they work for. This gives Americans the hope that they can one day achieve great things. So, do people love” The Great Gatsby” because it gives them the dream that their life can be better one day? After reading the book and seeing where the American dream takes Gatsby, I would not want to have that lifestyle anyway. “The Great Gatsby” could also be famous because of all the different media forms it has been put in. It has been put into a movie, referenced in many things like TV shows and songs, and even used for tattoos. I don’t think there is any one reason The Great Gatsby is still famous, and I wonder if this “timeless classic” will forever be “timeless.”

Champagne Tower, Pinterest, accessed August 31, 2023, <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8233211823707968/>.