Completed Great Gatsby Graphic Novel Response
Why is this book so often taught to teenagers? What does it have to say to us at that age? What does it say now?
For this one, I have some practical answers and some more opinionated answers. Practically? It’s a part of the literary canon. It represents the beliefs and values of the people that lived during that time, and showed how they lived. It illustrates a transition into more mechanized and automated production, an evolution of music and the expansion of women’s rights. Also practically, it has a lot of literary elements that can and are taught to teenagers: theme, motif, symbolism, allusion, character development, and more. A more opinionated answer as to why it is taught is to preach the dangers of excess. Gatsby and the Buchanan's lived lavish lifestyles, which (practically) isn’t necessary. There would always be waste after Gatsby extravagant parties, a lot of it. Personally, I would rather live how Nick lived: a small home is all I need to be happy.
As a teenager, Gatsby can present come rather conflicting messages. First, the love triangle between Daisy, Tom and Gatsby. This can be memorable to teenagers because, well the three of them act like teenagers in love. Daisy continuously leads both of them on. Tom is the stereotypical toxic manly man who always gets his away and doesn’t care about the feelings of women. Gatsby is like a child who isn’t getting enough attention so he goes out of his way to get it, and then causes trouble when he is further ignored. They act like it is a life or death love struggle, which is how teenagers act when they first start having relationships. So teen students will sometimes romanticize the toxic love, since they don’t have the experience to know better.
As an adult, it’s easier to see that the triangle is clearly toxic, manipulative and controlling. None of the characters actually love each other. They love the idea of being in love, in love with the idea of the other person, or merely infatuated with them. To love someone is to know them to their soul, and to sometimes put aside your own feelings and discomforts for the sake of the other person. Gatsby didn’t love Daisy, if he did he wouldn’t of pressured her to leave Tom, the father of her child. Not that Tom was in love with her either, however, clearly he wasn’t since he had an affair. She should of been with neither of them, not only because they weren’t good partners, but because she herself was awful too. I believe what Daisy really wanted was freedom, from Tom, from Gatsby, and from her family (her wealthy parents, not her child). She was burnt out and tired from societal expectations of a high class woman, she wanted out. She didn’t care about Tom or Gatsby, only herself.
