Brief introduction:
Nick came to New York from his Midwest hometown. Next to his house is Gatsby's luxurious house. When night falls, there will be a grand banquet here. Nick met with Gatsby, and the story began.
Gatsby was originally a poor farmer's son, but he still wanted to stand out. After try hard, he served as a lieutenant in a military training camp. And fell in love with Daisy, a girl from respectable families in the south.
But when Gatsby came back from abroad after the war, wearing a military medal, Daisy has married Tom Buchanan, a robust, extremely wealthy but rude. Even so he bought a luxurious house on the opposite bank and held a banquet every night. His only wish was to see his lover Daisy, who had been separated for five years. When they meet again, Gatsby thought that time could turn back and go back to his old dream, but over time, he found Daisy was far from the person he had dreamed of, when he realized the reality soon, Daisy accidentally drove her husband's mistress. Tom blamed Gatsby. Gatsby chose to admit it for daisy and was finally killed.
When Gatsby's funeral was held, Daisy and her husband were already on their way to Europe. Nick witnessed Gatsby's tragedy, witnessed the virtual feelings of human reality, and was deeply disgusted, so with a tragic mood, he left the noisy, indifferent, empty and false big city and returned to his hometown.
Wonderful excerpts:
What impresses me most in the book is the segment when Gatsby and Daisy meet again five years later. Because of the conflict between Gatsby's inner tension and ecstasy and his calm and elegant demeanor, his actions and expressions are particularly interesting. The fragments are as follows:
1. Finally he got up and informed me, in an uncertain voice, that he was going home. “Why’s that?” “Nobody’s coming to tea. It’s too late!” He looked at his watch as if there was pressing demand on his time elsewhere. “I can’t wait all day.” “Don’t be silly; it’s just two minutes to four.”
2. Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the edge of a stiff chair.
3. “We’ve met before,” muttered Gatsby. His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand.
Impressions:
Every time I review it again, I would be come up with myself this problem: why say Gatsby is great? Is he accomplish the American’s dream? Is he holding a reception to do good deeds? Or is he pursuit insistently the love?
Everyone may have their own answers. To me, the great is his always ahead of courage, his optimism, his original intention of keeping faith.
Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one day, one day we can touch the green light on the other side. Gatsby is the fool of fools, is also the warrior of warriors. Just like the most who knows his dream is empty, but they don't turn back.
But the pathetic Gatsby, I wish you make every choice just for yourself; I wish you busy every day just doing your favorite; I wish you walk out the past and into the future; I wish you make many true friends and no longer alone when you leave; I wish all your tears are tears of joy.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”---THE END.
