This has to do with the Great Gatsby.....?

Question

When i read this book at first i thought the main theme was love but is there a more maybe less obvious theme?

Answer 1

who cares that book sucks

Answer 2

I'm not going to do your homework for you, but we did read this in my AP English class last year, so I'll give you a few pointers as to what we talked about.

Love is definitely important in this book. Even more important is probably the idea of the American Dream. What IS the American Dream? How is Gatsby trying to fulfill it? Does he suceed? Does he confuse the ideals of success and the American Dream with Daisy and his love for her?

Try answering those questions and it should put you on the road to understanding the theme better. Remember, a theme isn't a word such as "love", but a statement, such as "Life is worthless without love." (And no, that's not a theme of the book, just an example.)

You also might want to think about the 1920's and the Jazz Age, and the ideals that were important then. What were they? Do you agree with them?

Good luck!

PS: I'd be careful with using online homework guides. Not only are they notoriously unreliable, but if your teachers are anything like mine, they'll be familiar with the sites and get suspicious if your ideas or especially your essays seem too similar.

Answer 3

Did you happen to read that little remark by F. Scott Fitzgerald at the beginning of his book? About hold back judging people because you may have had advantages in Life that they have not had? That really made an impression on me when I read it. Yes, love is certainly one of the main themes, no question about it, and love on a grand scale, clearly, but the other thing going on in that book is how people come into their money, wealth, position and values. Sometimes, "You wouldn't want to know."
J. Gatsby kept a little journal about how he wanted to improve himself daily. His father at the end of the story says, "It just shows you..." I found that story amazing, because it seemed very credible. The characters were real types, and I love Klipspringer, the pianist who sort of "moved into" Gatsby's mansion and would play the piano at the drop of a hat - free music! It is one of those books youo can revisit many times and notice something new each time, like when Jordan nudges the golf or croquet ball with the back of her foot.... or when Nick Caraway turns and tells Gatsby "You're worth the whole bunch of them put together!" Or words to that effect. Like "The Shining," you pick up these quotes from stories and can call them back easily... they stick in your head like "I think you hurt me real bad, Wendy..." said by Jack Nicholson inside the meat cooler, &c. Thanks for asking your question. I hope you get some dynamite answers, too... Karen Black playing Mabel... my God, she had brought me to tears watching her develop that character on the big screen... and her little dog... just too much! (Sniff!) Take good care now. Sent to you by Chris in South Portland, Maine, U.S.A. (I am 63 years old.)

Answer 4

Love? I guess there is a love story (of sorts) in the book, but I always thought it was about longing much more than love. Look how empty Gatsby is--he achieved wealth, but lives so empty a life that he isn't even present for his own parties. There's a wistfulness, a listlessness, and a sense of alienation from going all the way, but not achieving any fulfillment.

But that's just my opinion. ;-)

Answer 5

http://www.homework-online.com/tgg/index.asp

Here's a Great Gatsby Homework forum. It has all summaries of the chapters and major themes...

The word that can sum up many of the themes in the book is position. The word encompasses themes like class, wealth, social standing, and others. Gatsby's whole life is spent trying to attain money and status so that he can reach a certain position in life. That is what motivated him to move to West Egg, make money by any means necessary, and strive to win Daisy back. There is a position in life that he yearns for and will do all that it takes to achieve it.

Daisy and Tom on the other hand show how people can use their position to look down on others and live their life carelessly. As Nick says about Daisy, "in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged". It is this superior mind set that allows Tom to cheat on his wife and allows he and Daisy to run away from the death of Myrtle. They need not worry about such things because they are too good for it. Nick sees it as a kind of carelessness. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...". They can use their wealth and position to escape whatever they choose.

The word careless also sums up one of the most important ideas in the book. Nick refers to Jordan, Tom, and Daisy as careless in one form or another. Their actions are careless and they are careless people. This is due to the ease of their life. These people live the decadent life of the roaring twenties that many of the writers of this era were criticizing. The mindless, indulgent, irresponsible life style where consequence is just an afterthought. Fitzgerald uses these characters to expose this life with their selfish actions. This carelessness can be seen when Tom and Daisy run away after Myrtle is killed or when Jordan is driving Nick through the city. These people do not worry about paying for their actions so they do as they please. Tom is not worried about hurting Daisy so he flaunts his relationship with Myrtle, his mistress. Daisy, in turn, goes off with Gatsby without a thought to her marriage. Consequence is a unheard of concept to these people so they live their lives without thinking about it.

Answer 6

It does have to do with love, but not necessarily romantic love. A central theme could be materialistic love. One of the major themes in the novel has to do with the corruption of the American Dream, though.

Answer 7

That in the end the rich are not the same as you and me. Money does not always buy happiness and ultimately we all pay for our sins in one way or the other.

Answer 8

the distortion of the American Dream

the mean justifies the ends... or does it?