The Great Gatsby...Pretty Good (Chapters 1-5)

F. Scott Fitzgerald's endearing prose makes me feel like I am swinging, snapping through the roaring twenties. The Great Gatsby has, so far, has incorporated dynamic characters into a not-so well-woven plot. The symbolism and theme, however, redeem the tale and make it one of national importance.
Nick Carraway appears to be the most cool-headed character in the entire book. His narration can almost seem detached, but his occasional emotional absences allow the reader to explore his or her own opinions of the other characters. Tom Buchanan is the ultimate alpha-male: his infidelity to and simultaneous possessiveness of Daisy are all too familiar even to the twenty-first century reader. Daisy is whimsical, impulsive, and enchanting; she is, in many senses, a flapper with a wedding ring. Gatsby, although he has experienced much of what the world has to offer, is boy-like in his unrealistic dreams of his future with Daisy. These characters are perhaps the most enjoyable aspects of the book; however, the plot in which they interact is, in my opinion, lacking in cohesion. The scenes seem choppy, and motives are often blurred. Hopefully, the plot will include more than Gatsby's parties as the book progresses.
Fitzgerald, I believe, should have been a poet. His use of language throughout The Great Gastby is sporadically enchanting. His appropriate use of simile is, if I may, like a spoonful of sugar that helps the plot go down. Fitzgerald primarily uses Nick to depict the setting, other characters, and dialogue with finesse. Gatsby's symbolism contributes to the book's theme: the shattering of the American dream. The green light, which represents hope, well-being, and satisfaction is highly relative to the desires of today's American. The valley of ashes, a symbol of dullness and bleak mediocrity, also transcends Fitzgerald's lifetime and touches those of us who weren't New Yorkers or ever alive during the twenties.
So far, I think the book has potential (says Mary Ryan, the ultimate literary critic). I hope that Daisy and Gatsby both realize that neither can make the other happy and that Nick and Jordan fall together effortlessly. The Great Gatsby isn't over yet, and I still have time to think that it is, indeed, great.