Ahmad Zubair Zarah
Junior “A”
Reading Response
Instructor: Abdullah Noori
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, Third novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald,
published in 1925. Set in Jazz Age New York, it tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a
self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman
whom he loved in his youth. The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, who recounts the
events of the summer of 1922, after he takes a house in the fictional village of West
Egg on Long Island. There he lives among the newly rich, while across the water, in
the more refined village of East Egg, live his cousin Daisy and her brutish wealthy
husband, Tom Buchanan. As the summer progresses, Nick is finally invited to attend
one of the dazzling parties held by Jay Gatsby, his neighbour. At Gatsby’s request,
Nick invites Daisy to his house, where she and Gatsby meet again and renew their
relationship. Tom soon becomes aware of the affair and confronts Gatsby at the Plaza
Hotel. Daisy tries to calm them down, but Gatsby insists that he and Daisy have
always been in love and that she has never loved Tom. As the fight escalates, Tom
reveals what he had learned from an investigation into Gatsby’s affairs—that he had
earned his money by selling illegal alcohol. Gatsby tries to deny it, but Daisy has lost
her resolve to leave her husband, and Gatsby’s cause seems hopeless. Gatsby and
Daisy leave together in Gatsby’s car, with Daisy driving. On the road she hits and kills
Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, though her identity is unknown to Daisy, who knew
only that Tom was having an affair. Terrified, Daisy continues driving, but the car is
seen by witnesses. The next afternoon George Wilson, Myrtle’s widower, arrives in
East Egg, where Tom tells him that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. Wilson goes to
Gatsby’s house, where he shoots Gatsby and then himself. Afterward the Buchanans
leave Long Island, and Nick arranges Gatsby’s funeral. Fitzgerald considered The
Great Gatsby to be his greatest achievement at the time it was published, but the book
was neither a critical nor commercial success. The novel gained popularity in the
1950s, soon becoming a standard text of high-school curricula, and is now considered
a masterpiece of American fiction.
The Great Gatsby is a magnificent novel on every level. Fitzgerald writes about
the Jazz Age in language that beautifully evokes music. He writes about a hot day in a
way that almost makes you sweat. His characters are well-drawn, and the plot is
engaging and fast-paced. Despite being a commentary on a different age and people,
Gatsby's story is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Because it explores
universal themes — human follies, the hopelessness of societal constructs and man's
struggle with time and fate.
The moral of The Great Gatsby is that the American Dream is ultimately
unattainable. Jay Gatsby had attained great wealth and status as a socialite; however,
Gatsby's dream was to have a future with his one true love, Daisy. This is a book that
packs a seriously heavyweight punch. But, lest you be frightened, it's also eminently
readable: Gatsby is a love-story, a mystery, a rags-to-riches account of success and
its unhappy fallout, and a snapshot of NYC life before the Depression kicked in.
Gatsby's tragic flaw is his inability to wake up from his dream of the past and accept
reality. His obsession with recapturing his past relationship with Daisy compels him to
a life of crime and deceit.
In conclusion, everyone had their part in the death of Gatsby. The minor
contributors were Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson, leaving Tom more responsible than
Gatsby and Myrtle but Daisy Buchanan most responsible. "She caused the whole
problem by killing Myrtle"
KABUL UNIVEERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE FACULTY
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE IN AFGHANISTAN & WHY PESSIMISTS HAVE A
REASON TO BE CHEERFUL
A
PORTFOLIO
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
BACHELOR OF ARTS
Written by: Ahmad Zubair ZARAH, Junior A
Course Instructor: Abdullah Noori
6th semester, Third year
(10th November, 2022)
