Great Gatsby and the American

             Fitzgerald, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. pp 182 This novel is in general about middle and upper class american citizens and their lives a few years after the first world war had concluded. The author, a World War I veteran himself, shows insight into the lives and minds of American soldiers who fought in Europe during the conflict and the interesting experiences some may have had in the years following their return. Through written conversation, the novel deals with many of the social attitudes and ideas which prevailed during the early 20's. Historical facts are cleverly infused into the body of the novel that gives the reader an authentic and classic impression of the story. A clear view of the discrimination that existed in that time period against non-whites and women was evident by the time the conclusion of the book was reached. For instance, a conversation takes place between characters in the novel in which civilization is said to be going to pieces as a result of The Rise of the Coloured Empires. Women are also constantly referred to as girls. Also incorporated, was an interesting but sometimes uneventful and boring sub-plot of a man's extreme love for a woman and the catastrophic events that take place as a result. This was indicative of many people of the day who had a spouse but often had someone else on the side. Although this book is not the kind that exciting motion pictures are made of, It was regarded as one of the masterpieces of American literature. The plot centres on a fictional World War I army veteran named Nick Carraway. After his involvement in the war on the allied side with a machine gun battalion, he returned to his home in Chicago. With no clear direction of what he wanted to do with his life, he decided to move to New York to enter into the business of selling bonds. He settled down on an area of Long Island called West Egg, directly beside a more fashionable area of Long Island called West Egg.