The End

The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
chap IX, pgs 173-180

Before I give my personal opinion of this novel overall, I would like to tie up some loose ends with Daisy, Tom, and Jordan.  Nick and Jordan finally meet up after quite a while and Nick talks with her about their past.  Her response was to tell him "without comment that she was engaged to another man" (Fitzgerald, 177).  They talk for a bit longer, but the conversation goes south.  "Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away" (Fitzgerald, 177).  I was very upset, I really wish there could have been at least one happy ending in this novel.  As for Tom and Daisy, "They were careless people- Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (Fitzgerald, 179)  I was almost as upset to hear this, because I kind of wanted Daisy to leave Tom, and the both did unfavorable things, but they just ran away and chose to forget them.  I don't foresee them having a very happy life together, nor do I wish it upon them.

Though I wasn't a big fan of the tragic ending (I'm more of a hopeless romantic), the book itself was quite enjoyable.  The continuous thread of intrigue kept me engaged, and I had strong feelings toward many of the characters, whether good or bad, that drew me into the book even more.  The language and plot was easier to understand than in The House of Mirth, but both had a unique and interesting look into the time period and the lives of specific characters.  All in all, I enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby.