Don't Live on the Past by Micah

Don't Live on the Past by Micah - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my high school career I have read many books, but there is one book that I will always remember and believe that every student should read. The book I am referring to is the The Great Gatsby. This fictional drama is not only a very entertaining read but still relevant to modern day audiences. The Great Gatsby is a book about Jay Gatsby, a man who attempts to recreate the past by altering his identity and accumulating wealth in order to win over his lost love Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby loses Daisy to Tom Buchanan while he is away fighting in WWI, and when he returns from the war to find Daisy married, he begins to build an empire to win her back.

Once he has gained enough wealth to impress the shallow Daisy, he enlists the help of his neighbor, Nick Carraway who is Daisy’s cousin. Nick, the first-person narrator of the novel, is a witness to the first awkward reunion of Jay and Daisy where the spark of love is rekindle to the moment when Gatsby’s life is abruptly ended. Nick’s connection with all the main characters helps the reader to relate to each person and understand their faults. He gives insight into why they fail in life and why they can’t be happy. The story of Daisy and Jay ends tragically for Gatsby and forever changes Nick’s outlook on life.

The reason I believe that all high school students should read The Great Gatsby is because even though it was written in the Roaring 20’s, it’s themes are still relevant to the audiences of today. We as a people still encounter class differences, economic and social changes and the excesses of the rich. The greatest lesson that can be learned from this book is that we shouldn’t waste time trying to recreate the past. We should invest our energy and passion in the future. Gatsby’s unhealthy obsession with recreating his past relationship with Daisy leads to his untimely death. Students can learn from Gatsby’s mistakes by being content with the present while working to improve their future and not regretting the past.