ENRIQUEZ, Kiara Keren M.

LUNA, John Thomas E.

A Reflection - Reaction Paper

The Great Gatsby - A novel written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald poses a glance to the
significant life of Americans in 1920s and presents as one of the brilliant attribute stories of
1900s. The author communicates to us (readers) with deep sense of expression for American
dream, pride, lust, justice, drive for richness, infidelity and unfaithfulness and these leaves us the
sense of impression on the perilous world we live today. The movie directed by Baz Luhrmann,
starts with a flashback story of Jay Gatsby narrated by Nick Carraway since all was left for him
was painful nostalgia and memories of failure and frustration. In his story as he narrates, it
discusses how he met familiar and as well uncommon faces, his first encounter with Jay Gatsby,
his objective of helping him, and Gatsbys redeeming his love for Daisy Buchanan. Meanwhile,
the twilight of this film exposes the betrayal and frustrating part for him. These are
uncomfortable memories that haunted him which the story ended upon tragic wherein Daisy
chooses Tom Buchanan rather than Gatsby up to the killing and demise of Gatsby. The story
greatly reflects the true life of Fitzgerald with the life of Jay Gatsby, relating and signifying his
life to that of Jay Gatsbys, by winning her love and by throwing parties and the like. This
movie also slightly parallels with the great social division because most of the parts implies only
the wealthy. Gatsby is more of a secular Renaissance man because he is more preoccupied with
his wealth and all possessions, doing everything for his unrequited love for Daisy. On the other
hand, the narrator, Nick Carraway is both an objective historian and creative literary artist.

The daybreak of the film begins with Nick Carraway who functions as the novel narrator
of the story who took a job in New York as bond salesman. He rents a small house on Long
Island, in the village of West Egg, not knowingly, next door to the luxurious mansion of Jay
Gatsby, a millionaire and a mysterious man, who throws generously large parties. Nick met his
cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom, and Jordan Baker. In the apartment while
acquainting with Catherine she shared to Nick that Tom has a mistress, Myrtle Wilson who lives
in the valley of ashes. Few days pass, Nick mysteriously receives an invitation from Gatsby
and in the party he met Gatsby himself, who easily recognized him, surprisingly because they
were in the same division during the war. Through Jordan, Nick later learns that Daisy and
Gatsby used to be in a romantic relationship together, five years ago. He always notices Gatsby
mesmerizing the green light as he stands at the end of the dock, staring across the bay and
wishing to revive their love affair. Nick decided to reunite them both by inviting Daisy over his
house.
They began their romantic affair shortly after Nick reunited them. At a lunch at the
Buchanan's house, Daisy planned to confess his love to Tom, but she rather kept it until they
headed to the apartment. When Nick, Jordan, and Tom drove through the valley of ashes on their
way home, they discovered that Gatsby's car has struck and killed Tom's mistress, Myrtle. Nick
later learns from Gatsby that Daisy, not Gatsby himself, was driving the car at the time of the
accident but Gatsby intends to take the blame anyway, just because he wants to protect Daisy.
Myrtle's husband, George, falsely concludes that the driver of the yellow car is the secret lover
he recently began suspecting she has, and sets out on foot to locate its owner. After finding out
that the yellow car is Gatsby's, he arrived at Gatsby's mansion where he fatally shot Gatsby and
then shot himself as well. Nick staged an unsettlingly small funeral for Gatsby, and ended his

relationship with Jordan, then moved back to the Midwest disillusioned with the Eastern
lifestyle. In the movie, the social divisions are comparable as to what it is defined in Industrial
revolution wherein people have social races and dominions as seen in the valley of ashes.
In the film, The Great Gatsby, the excess of capitalism can be observed in numerous
scenes one of these is when Jay Gatsby wastes his riches in throwing extravagant parties, just
in case she can meet Daisy, and impress her. It is evident that an influential and famous man can
manipulate people just to do it his way. Moreover, the separation of social classes shows that the
rich does not want to be associated with the poor, and would like to live as far from these
unfortunate people. Basically, this leads to the Capitalism, which later on may lead them to being
corrupt.
Mainly the chief character in the story which probably pertains to Jay Gatsby merely
possesses the traits of a renaissance man. Though he grew up in an impoverish living, in the rural
community of North Dakota, he then bounces his life and become famous and wealthy. He was
notorious for the reason that he single-handed the wars which lead to his popularity. His riches
werent actually his, because he obtained these through criminal activities. Nonetheless, Nick
views Gatsby as a deeply flawed man, dishonest and vulgar, whose extraordinary optimism and
power to transform his dreams into reality make him "great". He is much more of a secular
renaissance man because his concerns were much in the material world, wherein we consider this
because of his love for Daisy. On the other hand, Jay Gatsby doesn't possess the quality of the
Age of Enlightenment man, simply because his roots grew into an illegal perspective wherein he
loses his sight only to suffice Daisy's love. The qualities of a man during the Age of
Enlightenment were mostly influenced by reason, scientific analysis and logic as their grounds
for decision-making and authority midst in solving social problems.

The narrator which is Nick Carraway, is both an objective historian and creative literary
artist. He is an objective historian because he doesnt attempt to fit any opinion on the evidence
into the story neither does he changes the historical evidence to withstand an opinion. Nick
Carraway narrates his frustration to his doctor to recover for an alternative way. Nick gave up
disgusting emotions thorough writing since this is the only method that his doctor suggests him
to recall what had happened to him and Gatsby. He is also a creative literary artist because he is
expressive to what he writes; basically the use of figure of speech would tell you that he is a
profound literary artist. He describes the storyline of Jay Gatsby and as well writes in a good
manner. In addition to this is that he wanted to become a writer in Yale someday but his dreams
were deprive because of his career in New York.
Upon reviewing the film, we both agreed that the single most important lesson we have
best instilled is that "do not always be out-sighted by your previous desires and dreams neither
rekindle the flames of your past relationships, because this will sometimes drag your optimism
and branch you frustration and failures." Gatsby's failure to understand that all the efforts, riches
and the possessions werent really what love means to Daisy, also he never realized that after
five long years, there were great changes that happened to the both of them, especially to Daisy
she got married to Tom and in the end, she still chose his husband, which we suppose, is the right
thing to do. He was totally blinded by his great love for Daisy, to the extent that he left nothing
for his self, even up to death.
Supposition of the entire paper describes the story of Jay Gatsby narrated by Nick
Carraway, which tells us that despite the wealth, influence, and popularity, Jay Gatsby still failed
to achieve the authentic happiness that he always wanted. This as well depicts the social classes
or divisions which defines the Industrial Revolution.

References
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