Should The Great Gatsby Be Taught In School

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby depicts the American life during the Roaring Twenties. Wealth and materialism played a big role during that time period and in the story of The Great Gatsby. The lifestyles of the characters in the novel differ from each other; it depended on how wealthy they were and what status they are. The novel touches upon social issues and the effects of being from a certain social class. The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald should be taught in school because the novel shows what the American life back then was like by exploring significant problems during the Roaring Twenties and it illuminates a life lesson of the idea that corruption can cause the American Dream to be unfulfilled. …show more content…
In The Great Gatsby, the Roaring Twenties was a time of great prosperity and appeared to be predominately between the old money and the new money. Gatsby believes that Daisy will accept him if he is rich, so spends a substantial amount of money to entice her towards it. Daisy sobs in the novel because she has “never seen such beautiful shirts before.” Gatsby wants to gain Daisy’s attention with his wealth so he holds luxurious parties at his vast mansion. In the end of the novel, Daisy doesn’t even go to his funeral when she perceives that Gatsby can’t give her the life she wishes, which is full of wealth. This shows that material wealth can’t guarantee to be in the possession of