Is the Great Gatsby still relevant?

Question

Why should students be required to read the Great Gatsby? How is it relatable for kids today?

Answer 1

Gatsby remains relevant as it presents the dark side of the American Dream and does so with unusual panache. The shimmering surfaces of Fitzgerald's prose mirror the daylight optimism of the Dream, reflecting the self-image of an ideal society wherein talent and hard work routinely get rewarded.

But not everything is as it seems.

http://tinyurl.com/Gatsby-in-American-Lit

Answer 2

I once asked a class of high school students in a rigorous private school who were reading The Great Gatsby if they found it relevant today. To my surprise, they generally said no. I think The Great Gatsby is extremely relevant today. It is "the great American tragedy" that speaks to common, timeless themes of wealth, class, love and loss, envy, and, moreover, identity. Jay Gatsby, we learn, is not at all who he says he is. He is a person created of his own imagination. This leads me to inquire: who am I? what persona do I present to various "publics" and what is my true self? We all put on different "faces" depending on who we are with, but who has ever really created a self based entirely on a fiction that is so entrenched in the person's mind that he actually believes he is who he says he is?

Answer 3

Think about your friends, neighbors and classmates.  Have you ever known anyone who was full of mystery?   Is there a wealthy person your community that people wonder where all of their money came from?  Have you ever lost a boy / girl friend and tried to get them back?  Are deceptive people part of your community?  Do you know an extremely charming person, who later seemed quite different?  Is it easy to have lots of people around you, but few true friends?  Do you know someone who is fundamentally decent and a marvelous story teller?   If the answers to the majority of these questions is 'yes,' then you will find Gatsby very 'relatable.'  Apart from being 'required reading,' this is a novel which you should want to become acquainted with.

Answer 4

Why students should read this book:

Amazing how it never seems to lose its modernity; it has that kind of staying power.There is a great power of relevance for readers today. It offers complicated characters who can be interpreted in fresh ways for new readers. Is Nick in love with Gatsby, as Greg Olear theorized on Salon? Could Gatsby — the other, the outsider — actually be a black man? Often dismissed as a selfish ditz, is Daisy victimized by a society that offers her no career path except marriage to big bucks?

 

'The Great Gatsby' published in 1925 was written in an epoch of materialistic greed and hedonistic philosophies when social classes divided races and created substantial inequities. The importance placed on money and materialism in the novel is a running commentary on the social 'sins' of the era, when the people of that period, guilty of idolatry, viewed money with an almost reverent perception. Indeed even Nick Carraway, our 'path finder' and 'guide', is initially drawn into his milieu's elevation of materialism over moral principles, as in the corner of his house, the row of untouched books stands in 'red and gold like new money from the mint,' almost shrine like, promising initiation into universal 'shining secrets,' known only to the financial idols, 'Midas, Morgan and Maecenas.' It has been contended that upon critical analyses, 'The Great Gatsby' reveals the homogeneity of the 1920's, the decade in which the book was set, and that of modern day society, therefore revealing the relevance of the novel's theme of materialism and money to a contemporary audience

Answer 5

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is important to read and study because it tells the story of the American Dream taken to its extreme, and how we should be careful and cautious with regard to following "the dream" at the expense of losing self, family, and true riches that cannot be bought with the almighty dollar.

Answer 6

    I once had an interview for a high school English position in which The Great Gatsby was referenced. I started to make the naive assertion that while Fitzgerald was the whole reason I was an English major in college, reading his work wasn't as important as students being taught the more basic skills they may lack when it comes to reading. One of the assistant principals interrupted me by saying, "Reading about Gatsby showed me myself in writing for the first time. I realized that I wanted to reinvent myself, just as he had. It changed me life." I didn't get the job, but the interview was so important to me because it helped put things back into perspective; regardless of a student's academic deficits, each student deserves the opportunity to have exposure to the classics that are timeless in their portrayal of what it's like to be human. The 1920's setting is different, but people are still people. I'm glad you are helping students to see past the terms they have to memorize for the test on the book and see the larger picture! Reading is about a connection, an experience, and addressing the relevance of what we read is crucial. 

Answer 7

Love is always relevant.  Human frailty in the presence of danger is too. The accumulation of wealth is always full of imponderable consequences. Scott Fitzgerald suffered mightily in his life, and the tale of suffering in its myriad of ways is a classic theme in literature.

Answer 8

I think this book has a lot to do with society today.  The characters in the book lead lavish lifestyles with a lot of waste.  In today's world, people need to be more environmentally aware.  Do we really need to replace our working televisions for a bigger screen?  Do we need new game systems every 5 years?  What happens to the old systems?  Greed is a major theme in this book, with relevance to how humans suffer the consequences.

Answer 9

Like all classic literature and other art, students learn thematic lessons, characterization, and interpretation when a teacher makes connections so that students identify with the message. I would suggest that the classics, along with all genres, are only as good as the approach to the text. It can be fun and intriguing or it can be boring and outdated. The way the literature is presented and explored is the key to ensuring the students engage with the words on the page. A creative instructor can change the way you view any subject. Think about the teachers you enjoyed and the ones you did not. You will begin to see that the content is not what students dread, but rather, the way in which they are introduced to the subject. Learning happens naturally when the teacher is creative in engaging the students in the literature. It is no longer acceptable to assign, discuss, and test. That is so old school and yesterday. Teachers must understand the importance of their audience, the advanced and socially adept students of 2013! Even The Great Gatsby can be cool, but like all subjects, it must be approached with an attitude, technology, involvement, and creative projects that are so cool the students forget they are actually learning.

 

Answer 10

Jay Gatsby steals the identity of someone else and reinvents himself as someone he believes others will admire. Everything about his life is fabricated other than his very real desire to be accepted into a certain social class. Think about Jay in the age of social media, where in a handful of posts, videos or tweets, you can become someone completely different. How many "Gatsby's" do you know who have made themselves famous by digitally altering their images, creating imaginary wealth, or constructing a fictional life through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter? Our value is too often determined by what we appear to have, and who people think we are. Whereas Jay had to take someone's identity in the novel, a modern Gatsby could create a very believable identity out of thin air. This book is still very relevant as it addresses issues of social caste, materialism, and acceptance, all issues that preoccupy the modern personality.

Answer 11

Endlessly. The Great Gatsby is a warning, like most of Fitzgerald's works, against the pratfalls of Capitalism. There is a shiny veneer on the surface of Gatsby's life, like a bronze foil over a plastic trophy. In Gatsby specifically, Fitzgerald points out the way that the American ideal of the accumulation of wealth does not lead to fulfillment in anyone. Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom all suffer greatly for their dedication to their lifestyles. Even Jay himself, whose intentions are the most noble (in a way--there is something to be said about the Feminism of Gatsby, but that's a whole other issue) is punished for his approach to win the heart of Daisy, leading ultimately to his death.

Answer 12

"Gatsby" has been turned into a verb in informal English in the past few years. That's another reason the story is still relevant. To Gatsby is to make a gesture so grand that it catches the attention of a certain person, often a romantic interest. In the book, Jay Gastby throws lavish parties that eventually attracts the woman he has loved and lost. The new trend usually involves social media.

Answer 13

The Great Gatsby is still relevant because there will always be wealthy, powerful people who influence others. Readers are able to reflect upon that influence, as well as find parallel examples in the daily news for comparison and contrast. This book is a great way to help students explore values and humanity in relationship to money.

Answer 14

Great Gatsby shows the corruption and the spiritual vacuum that are behind the American dream of materialism and wealth. Just think about it. How often do you hear about wealthy people in powerful positions abusing power or engaged in corruption? Think about the Biblical saying that it is harder for a camel to get through the eye of needle than it is for rich man to get to heaven.

Answer 15

For those who would like the opinion of a scholar on Fitzgerald and “Gatsby”, in 2014 Maureen Corrigan published So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures. Reading it might also help you decide for yourself the relevance of the novel today.

Answer 16

Director Baz Luhrmann has created a modern adaptation of The Great Gatsby while keeping true to the original setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. I point out his creation in defense of the argument that this novel (one of my favorites) is still relevant today. The theme of love and the relationships therein are complex, showing us that people, even we non-fictional people, are not as easy to figure out. Motivations of the characters are enigmatic, even frequently to themselves. Are we not, as non-fictional people, also so often caught in the web of our fantasies, expectations of ourselves and others, and delusions of grandeur?  

Answer 17

I think it still has some relevance in modern society in that even though some of the characters in the book lead lavish lifestyles, they are really poor excuses of human beings. Simply compare them to some of the more obnoxious celebrities in America today and you can see the common thread.

Answer 18

I have graduated high school and (community) college in New York without ever being asked to read this book. I believe it is considered an American classic and teachers are still assigning it due to tradition. There are many modern novels that would be more engaging and interesting to students. Also, depending on the state where they teach, many teachers are following a curriculum set up by someone who is never in the classroom. The opportunity for teachers to hand pick literature for their students can be very limited.