Synopsis
The story is set in the 1920s in the United States. The protagonist, Gatsby, is a mysterious millionaire. He bought a luxurious mansion in West Egg, Long Island, and held extravagant parties every night.
Gatsby did this to attract the attention of his former lover, Daisy, who lived in East Egg. Daisy had already married Tom, a wealthy young man. Nick was Gatsby's neighbor and a distant relative of Daisy's. With Nick's help, Gatsby and Daisy were reunited and their old affection was rekindled.However, Tom noticed their relationship. He exposed that Gatsby's source of wealth might be improper. Later, Daisy accidentally ran over and killed Tom's mistress while driving. Gatsby took the blame to protect Daisy. But the mistress's husband mistakenly thought it was Gatsby who was driving and shot him dead. In the end, only a few people like Nick attended Gatsby's funeral, and Gatsby's dream was completely shattered.
An analysis of Gatsby’s character
Gatsby is a brave and persistent person. He dared to fight for the dreams and love in his heart. Even though he was born in poverty, he also accumulates wealth to get close to Daisy. He is simple and naive, thinking that wealth can buy back the love and beauty of the past. At the same time, he was full of loneliness. Behind the luxurious party, no one understood him.However, his persistence eventually plunged him into tragedy. To sum up, Gatsby is a character full of contradictions. His bravery and naivety, loneliness, and persistence together constitute his complex character, and he is also destined to become a breathtaking and tragic figure in that materialistic era.
Gatsby’s love tragedy
The love in "The Great Gatsby" is a poignant tragedy. Gatsby's affection for Daisy is intense yet fated to fail.For example, Gatsby throws extravagant parties just hoping Daisy would notice him. But Daisy, trapped in the materialistic upper - class world, can't fully embrace Gatsby. Their love is doomed by the chasm of class and different values. This warns us that love based merely on fantasy and wealth is fragile. True love should be rooted in mutual understanding and shared values, not superficial attractions. Also, we should not let social status blind us to the essence of love.
The collapse of the American Dream
“A
merican Dream" refers to the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or their socio-economic status, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone.
The “dream” in people's eyes is often the life of the upper class, which means possessing more money and enjoying richer material conditions.
In the author's portrayal, Gatsby is the modern embodiment of the American Dream—born into poverty but passionate about learning from a young age, consciously and systematically training himself. After years of struggling and resorting to all sorts of illegal activities, Gatsby finally manages to rise to the upper class and buys a luxurious mansion in West Egg on Long Island. Every Saturday night, Gatsby's house is always full of guests and bustling with activity. On the surface, Gatsby is a vivid example that the American Dream can come true. However, for Gatsby, buying the mansion and holding grand banquets are just means to attract Daisy's attention, not the end. Most of the time, Gatsby just watches everything lonelily from the sidelines.
Therefore, material possessions cannot bring happiness or joy, and a life with more money is not a better life. He strives to enter the upper class only to regain the love lost due to poverty, which is also the root of his tragic end. Gatsby's death symbolizes the complete collapse of the American Dream based on materialism and illusion. The author thoroughly denies the American Dream through Gatsby's tragic experiences and fate.
The author also critically portrays the selfishness, indifference, and hypocrisy of the upper class, showing that people from the upper class did not live a better life, which further denies the American Dream.
The tragedy of war
Before the war, Gatsby and Daisy met and fell in love. Although they were not well matched in social and economic status, Gatsby gained Daisy's heart for his charm and sincere affection. However, with the outbreak of war, Gatsby was enlisted as a military officer, and he had to leave Daisy for the battlefield. The long separation and uncertainty of the war have made their feelings drift away. Despite the resurgence of the couple after the reunion, five years have changed many things, including the once deeply felt affection of romantic love for Daisy, whose escape and silence have left Gatsby alone and forever lying in the cemetery buried in his deep naive romantic love.
War is cruel, it breaks beautiful homelands, fragmented happy families, separated love people. Looking back at today's volatile world situation, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Myanmar, and other countries are engaged in inhumane wars. We cannot but argue that we should oppose unjust wars, advocate the peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for life.
文案2023级10班 王梓芮 张钰茹 梁希恩 邓榆榆 苏倓
图片｜2023级10班 王梓芮
张钰茹 梁希恩 邓榆榆 苏倓
排版｜2023级10班 王梓芮
指导老师｜王德义
