Why I hated the book that taught me literature by Luke

Why I hated the book that taught me literature by Luke - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (1) I remember reading those lines on the first page of The Great Gatsby, dreading the next 180 pages of long-winded, over-insightful narrative that I was forced to trudge through in my high school English class as a result of a reading requirement assignment. It was clear my school had an overly ambitious desire to exceed in proving the literacy of its attendants, and I was one of the many casualties.
 I want to make clear my opinion upon completion of this early 20th century portrayal of the “jazz age”. I absolutely hated it. I despised the odd choice of the authors prose, as well as the way the narrator felt the need to elaborate each and every insignificant thought in the most mundane of ways. Above all I loathed Daisy, Tom and the rest of the self-entitled, pompous, corrupt, rotten cast.
At this point you may be wondering why I wrote my response to the best book I ever read for school about a book I have such strong negative feelings for. The answer is simply that The Great Gatsby is one of my absolute favorite books. Of course I didn’t think so after my first time reading it, but that is what makes it so great! It taught me so much about literature and the way to read it. When I first read this book, I was still under the impression that authors, Fitzgerald included, wrote with the expectation that the chosen subject matter is relevant, and good. That we are expected to agree with the characters and their motives, to like the characters, invest ourselves and be merrily entertained. I know, this seems silly but remember that this was a time before I even knew what the word “satire” meant!
           This simple work thought me that a character doesn’t have to be likeable to be interesting. That authors can steep their stories in deep cynicism, and smother their characters with disapproval. They may provide a window into all that they chastise, hiding criticism in black ink on a page. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the decay and excess that he witnessed around him, cautioning that the American dream may in fact turn into a nightmare. Looking at the times that came after the works were written, one can say it almost reads like prophesy.