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Fitzgerald's novel was not popular when it was first published, selling less than 24,000 copies during his lifetime. Largely forgotten during the Great Depression and World War II, it was republished in the 1950s and quickly found a wide readership. Over the following decades it emerged as a standard text in high school and university literature classes in the United States. Now, however, it is cited as one of the greatest English-language novels of the 20th century.

1 Summary

Jay Gatsby is a young millionaire with a dubious and somewhat notorious past. He has no ties to the society he circulates in and no one quite knows how he made his fortune. Some say he was a bootlegger during the Prohibition years. Rumors circulate of his "killing a man", or being a German spy during the Great War and that perhaps he was a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm. However, despite the glamorous parties he throws, with their countless gatecrashers whom he generously tolerates, Gatsby is a lonely man. All he really wants is to "repeat the past" – to be reunited with the love of his life, Daisy. But Daisy is now married to the staid, respectable millionaire Tom Buchanan, and they now have a daughter. For Gatsby, this hardly constitutes a problem in conquering his love for Daisy; and Daisy, flattered by the attention and feeling trapped and bored in her marraige, feels flattered by Gatsby's attention.

The protagonistThe protagonist is the central figure of a story (e. anecdote, novel), and is often referred to as the story's main character''. The story follows and is chiefly concerned with the protagonist (or, sometimes, a small group of protagonists). Often the stor of the novel is Nick Carraway, a young Wall Street trader at the height of the free-wheeling days prior to the collapse of the financial market that lead to the 1928. Carraway moves into the small guest house next to Gatsby's mansion (a "factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy"). Eventually, Carraway cynically realizes that the uber-rich, as respectable as they may seem superficially, are indeed "careless people," and Tom and Daisy are are no exception. Tom has a mistress, Myrtle, the wife of the gas station owner in the wasteland between the fabulous mansions on Long Island and New York City. One day, when Gatsby lets Daisy drive his new car, she accidentally causes Myrtle's death. Gatsby takes the blame and is consequently shot by Myrtle's desperate husband, Wilson, in Gatsby's mansion. Hardly anyone shows up for Gatsby's funeral, including Daisy. Gatsby was buried with the same mystery that he suddenly appeared, as he was "not one of us, anyway."

1 Literary elements

1.1 Structure

• Nonlinear representation of timeFor alternate uses of "time", see Time (disambiguation). Time quantifies or measures the interval between events, or the duration of events. Time has long been perceived as a dimension in which each event has a definite (but not necessarily unique) positi

1.2 Themes

The main themes of the novel are:

• The rise and fall of the American Dream. 'Does Gatsby embody the American Dream?' is a question that is asked t countless students who read the book. He was born to a family with no ties to society but has become a millionaire and the embodiment of success in America. In the novel, Gatsby downplays his dubious business links (to Meyer Wolfshiem), which is entirely in Gatsby's favour. Many speculate whether or not the character of Gatsby was, indeed, modeled on the famous gambler of the day, Arnold RothsteinArnold Rothstein ( 1882 1928) was a New York gambler widely reputed to have been behind the Black Sox scandal during the 1919 World Series. He was never convicted, however, and no evidence could verify his connection the affair. When he was summoned to Ch. Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent the cream of American society and yet they drift aimlessly from place to place ("wherever people play polo and are rich together"), with no morals, no commitment, and no dreams. Myrtle and George Wilson, victims of the Buchanans, are helpless in the face of the Buchanan's wealth and incorruptable power and influence.

• The corruption of the rich. Tom and Daisy are just as corrupted by their wealth, whatever their status in society, in contrast to Gatsby, for whom the acquisition of wealth has its origins in the underworld. Tom Buchanan is unfaithful; Daisy Buchanan is artificial; Gatsby himself is enigmatic and a shadowy figure.

Minor themes:

• The novel discusses questions of racismRacism refers to beliefs, practices, and institutions that negatively discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. Sometimes the term is also used to describe the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, o through the character of Tom Buchanan who, on top of his loose morals, is also a white supremacistThe white supremacy movement considers white people to be superior to people of other (and of mixed) races and/or ethnicities. Members often term the movement White Pride or White Power . Ideology White supremacists are vehemently opposed to racial mixing. This, however, a minor theme, adds to the Buchanans' corruption in contrast to Gatsby.