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peccavi26 t1_itybnl4 wrote

Reply to comment by Walter-MarkItZero in The Great Gatsby: I don't know why this book is so popular with English teachers by knerled

Indeed that quote made me stop reading for a moment the first time I picked this book up.

From the unreliability of the narrator—no doubt in part due to his ptsd from WWI—to the overt symbolism both in characters and time setting—which Gatsby emphasizes through his attempts to “fit in,” it really is an enjoyable read.

That said, I agree with OP wholeheartedly that it’s just harder to read—and enjoy—works that are assigned.

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mindbodyproblem t1_ityd193 wrote

I mean, the quote is the last sentence in the book, so yeah I guess you stopped reading at that point.

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Walter-MarkItZero t1_ityc04j wrote

Speaking of the unreliable narrator - I find this article fascinating.

I personally abhor when activists try to retroactively find social commentary in works the author never intended, but this article makes a fairly persuasive argument that Fitzgerald did intend it. I mean, Fitzgerald wrote each word, he included it in the book, it has to mean SOMETHING.

https://themillions.com/2018/04/the-queering-of-nick-carraway.html

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