Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Great Gatsby Test Question 4

   Again, why are we still reading a book written in the 1920's? What gives a book its longevity? And which of its themes are eternal in the American psyche.

18 comments:

Derek Stemmler said...

I think this book is still read today for many reasons. First off, when it was written, the book was extremely popular. The book is has a great and interesting story as well, and i can see why it was so popular. Having us read this is school was a good choice because the book teaches you about the time period of the 1920s and shows readers what life was like. It also gives you a lesson. Another reason why we read the book is because like novels today, this novel shares many common themes. These include themes of love, deception, wealth, greed, and friendship, which we read about in novels written today.

Dan McCarthy said...

We still read a book written in the 1920's because it does not matter besides for historical studies how old a book is. A good story is a good story no matter how long since it was written. the book is a good glimpse into the 1920 and that is a reason we read it. More importantly though The Great Gatsby is read because it is a good book, with a interesting story, and a meaningful lesson. The book teaches what happens when lies, deception, greed, and passion combine to produce disaster. A lesson is also learned in that you should not hide your desire or thoughts, just be you. Themes of the Great Gatsby are themes that will never be irrelevant. Love, friendship, greed, identity are all topics that will live inside people forever and are evident in this book. People will always be in love, have friends, be greedy, and try to hide who they are. We will read novels like The Great Gatsby because they will always be books with meaning and books that share the themes that will always exist.

denisgingras said...

In my opinion we still read this book for many reasons. One thing is, even though this story was written in the 1920s its themes are still relevant today. Today many people are interested in love affairs and drama. This book had both of those themes which is why we still read this book today. People like to see intense drama with twists and turns. For example when it was Daisy who had actually been the one who had killed her husbands lover.

Anonymous said...

There are many reasons behind why a book so old is still being read today. This book has a very interesting story rigged with scandal and trauma. Also this book was written in the 1920's so people who read it can get a feel for life in the 1920's.

Kayla Reynolds said...

We are still reading a book written in the 1920's because it is an extremely interesting story. It doesnt matter that the book was written a long time ago. A good story will be read for many years if it is interesting and exciting. It doesnt matter how long it has been around.

Carolina Veloso said...

I believe we are still reading a book that is based in the 1920's because it has a good story behind it, and how love is really important but clearly not enough for Daisy because she said "rich girls don't marry poor boys". Today love is something between two people, and how they feel with eachother. It also shows how life was in the 1920's, but it also has a common theme with the books written today.

Vanessa Domond said...

I believe we are reading i book from the 1920's in 2008 because we we were not able to expierence the time period back then. Reading this novel gives students i way to understand how much different life was lived back then than it is today. Also it lets the reader see that themes shown throughout books back then are mostly the same expressed throughout novels today.

larry said...

How old a book is does not matter if it as good book like the Great Gatsby. Time can make some books become old and almost pointless but a true author can write a story that can withstand the test of time and be relevant for a long time. Themes such as love while always be something people can relate to so the book will always be able to connect with people on that level. Also a theme like jealousy will be something most people will experience. Novels that can last are novels that have themes in them that people years from now even could still be able to relate to.

Alyssa Sullivan said...

This book is still read today by many because even though it was written a long time ago it is a very interesting book. It also can give you a feel of how life was back in the 1920's and teaches you lots of things. Also some people may be able to relate to some of the themes in The Great Gatsby, such as, love, greed, friendship, wealth, and hate.

Olivia Fuller said...

The Great Gatsby is still read today simply because it is timeless. The lessons, themes, and characters are timeless. There will always the selfish Daisy and Tom Buchanans in our society, there will always be shady deals, and rags to riches stories like Jay Gatsby's. There will always be Love, and better yet; heartbreak. There will always be murder, and death. The reader can relate to this book no matter what they are going through at the current time. Thats what gives this book longivity. Lying/cheating are enternal in the American Psyche.

Ian Conway said...

This book is still used because it uses timeless themes of greed, love, and jealousy. These themes are eternal because they have been used in just about every novel since Shakespeare and they still are prominent themes today. Also the novel is a window into the 1920's for those of us who have no not experienced it firsthand. It is important for people to learn about the past.

Lisa Russell said...

This book is still being read to this day because of all of the different interesting points it gives us. All of the different themes gives in this book gives it its longevity. If i were to choose which one of the themes that makes this book enetnal in the American psyche it would be friendship, love or greed.

Arianna Miranda said...

The Great Gatsby is still read today due to the unique writing of Fitzgerald. At first the book didn't sell to many copies. As years passed more people grew to like the story.Reading this book in school helps us to learn about early American culture in the 1920s. The novel had many themes such as love,wealth, deception, friendship,violence,gender roles and World War I.

Unknown said...

I believe that the book is still read in schools today because of the great plot. The plot of the story is rich and provides good reading for students. It also provides a little history too. Students get a good understanding of what life was like for the more wealthy people back in the 1920s. It provides somewhat historically accurate facts and things. The book also includes a variety of themes as Derek said in his blog. Those themes provide good reading and understanding for students.

Cam Shepard said...

This book is amazing. When a novel this good is published there is no time table on it. It could have been made in the 1200's and as long as the plot line is good and interesting it will sell and people will read it. There is a plethora of themes in the novel such as love, wealth, deception, and friendship. These are topics still written about today.

Jared Ravagni said...

This book is read not just for the sole purpose of learning about the 1920's but to teach lessons and for an interesting story. This book teaches us of the possible outcomes of love, lying and jealousy.

Chuck Barbaro said...

The Great Gatsby is one of those books that will never get old. Themes like difference in social class will always be alive in America. Also there are many celebrities in this book like Jordan, Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy. There will always be great following of celebrities in America.

Sean Keane said...

The Great gatsby is one of those books that will always be read by people. It shows many conflicts that still can occur in the 21st century. The story behind the conflicts is great too. The themes of the novel also can interest many people. Love, wealth, freindship, dishonesty, and many other themes interent people. Lastly, it shows what life was like in the 20's.