The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is an American classic following Jay Gatsby’s quest to win back his long-lost love by faking a successful life, depicting the struggles around love, relationships, societal standing, and consumerism of people in the “roaring” 1920s.

Throughout the book, Nick seems like an objective, reserved, down-to-earth observer and, for the most part, he is. However, he, too, has his struggles.

Nick is somewhat seduced by the crazy, opulent lifestyle Gatsby and his cousin live. He gets drunk at one of Gatsby’s parties and fully buys into his hopeful, ever-optimistic demeanor. Later, he starts dating Jordan Baker, a successful but poor-mannered golfer and socialite. Nick even facilitates the secret meeting where Gatsby and Daisy rekindle their love and begin an affair.

Nick prides himself on being “a simple man” and “not judging others,” and the more time he spends amid rich but despicable people, the better he sees through them. But he is not flawless, and he never really addresses his own shortcomings. By the end of the book, Nick moves back Midwest, having had enough of rich people’s drama, but he’ll still need a fair amount of introspection to truly learn his lesson.

None of us are saints. We will all face ethical conundrums at one point or another. It’s okay to not be perfect, but it’s important to be honest about these dilemmas when they occur — if only to ourselves. Don’t try to be a superhero. Sooner or later, you’ll crack under the pressure.

As he spends time with the people around him, Nick discovers their secrets. One is that Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, has a mistress named Myrtle, whom he even rents an apartment for in the city. Tom also has anger and drinking issues. Daisy, of course, knows all of this, and is deeply unhappy in her marriage, not least because she secretly loves Gatsby. Gatsby, in turn, made all his money illegally — from smuggling alcohol — and only pretends to be smart and rich so he can get back together with Daisy. All of the characters in the book have food, shelter, and plenty of time and money to spare, yet none of them are happy — because the hard work that self-awareness and good relationships require is not something money can do for us. Daisy most represents this issue. When confronted by Tom and Gatsby to choose either one or the other, she can’t make up her mind. Ultimately, however, she clings to Tom and his (legally made) money, despite him not respecting, let alone loving her. Some people go to great lengths to get rich but then find they still feel empty inside. Knowing yourself takes time. So does forming…