errrrrg! this is funny XD and also very true! Does anyone know what page Gatsby says that Daisy's voice is full of money? I remember reading it, but now that I need to find it, I can't find it!!! T_T
I feel sorry for Daisy and Tom's child. She's the real victim! As for Nick, he never acts or does anything. He simply stands there and lets the events unfold which from a narrator's point of view has its uses, but it makes him neither a bad or good person which is worse than either of those things. Despite this, it is one of my favourite books.
The Great Gatsby has to be one of my favorite books of all time. And I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of a nerdy squeal moment when I saw this video.
@RoyBoyRocket ...I don't think you belong on this channel. How can you say Tom is a 'cool' guy? He's violent, supercilious, and generally an asshat. I'm not Daisy's biggest fan, honestly I found her quite annoying. HOWEVER, in that time, that's what women were expected to be like. As for Gatsby, he has his faults, but tries to be honourable and fair and so on, whereas Tom is a racist adulterer. In my opinion, you are wrong.
@randomgirl22695 I don't think Gatsby is honorable or fair, he's overcome with his obsession over daisy that he doesn't care who he hurts and crosses, he uses Nick to get closer to Daisy and in his and Tom's argument in New York you can tell that Daisy clearly didn't love Gatsby alone, I don't think any of the characters are good people, but he see Gatsby only through the eyes of Nick and it's through his skewed thoughts that we can make our own.
@Somecrazyshish I know Gatsby's not the greatest, I came off a little Gatsby-obsessed there :L I was just trying to emphasise that Tom is much worse than him. I agree with you that none of the characters are heroes by any stretch of the imagination, but there are varying degrees of awful-ness.
@randomgirl22695 Yeah, I agree, Tom is pretty much a douche, he's a cheat and he beat a woman (or at least broke her nose). Though at the end he does give his reasons for disliking Gatsby, I think it's important not to get hung up on whether any of the characters are good or bad because they're a lot more complex, the only character I could call 'good' by any stretch is Michaellis, and he plays a very minor role.
@Somecrazyshish True. I wouldn't say I was saying whether they were good or bad, but Gatsby is sort of likeable, whereas Tom is designed to make the reader hate him. Like I said, none of them are heroes, and most aren't 'good' people- that's what the majority of people were like in that time, and most importantly, lifestyle. I do love the book though.
@randomgirl22695 I dont think you shd comment on literary styff til u kno what ur talkin bout...Tom was WAY better than gatsby...gatsby tried to run off w tom's wife (at least tom was just usin gas station girl on the side) and ran around w jew gangsters. tom wdnt run w jew gangsters. plus tom didnt run over anyone or lie about military service or family or have parties where ppl cd get hv drunken accidents plus toms an athlete and tried find his friend Nick a chik...gatsby never did that
@RoyBoyRocket 1 I don't think you should comment until you learn how to spell. 2 Tom's a complete dick (again, violent racist) 2 Gatsby did 'run off' with Daisy, but they loved each other, and Daisy was deeply unhappy with Tom 3 Tom 'usin gas station girl on the side' (Myrtle) is cheating, which is worse than what Gatsby did (and he didn't go out of his way to break them up.) 4 Jew gangsters? Seriously? 5 Athleticism doesn't make you a good person 6 Who cares about finding a chick? Irrelevant.
two, at the NY party w nick and tom they didn't 'utilize' servants (I think you meant 'use') except to send a guy for some stuff for the dog, for which he was well-paid.
four (circa 2') Gatsby's party is good cuz (as you say) "it has Gatsby"...ah wrong again you commie stooge, Gatsby doesn't even partake in any of the festivities of the party at all.
I read the book a month ago. I liked it a lot. Thank you very much for your opinion and explanation, John, most people in my environment thought it was so stupid it is not worth thinking about.
One of my absolute favorite books of all time. I've always thought Gatsby was a hero, maybe not the most admirable one, but a hero none the less. Everyone can relate to reaching out for that green light across the water. Also, whenever I'm driving and I see green lights I think of this book :)
Well-fucking-done...a rare find! Now if people could only learn from it...Hell, it's tragic that Fitzgerald didn't seem to learn from it. Excellent. Thank you,
(part 2)It was because of Daisy that made him sort of lose sight of what he was doing with his life. Like at the end of the novel when his father showed Nick that note about his schedule and how articulate and planned it was. With Daisy he lost that and worked towards being wealthy to impress her. Hence his illegal actions, because of his undying desire for Daisy. Sorry went a big tangent there. I really enjoyed this book and would just like to get more out of it! If anyonehasany insight, thanks
@tooch1995 I think Gatsby is a hero in the sense of beating the American dream. Yes, all throughout the novel he's trying to cling on to this past self and innocence of himself through Daisy, and he tries to get that past back. And, like John said, that is the American Dream. But Gatsby beats it, not in the way that he achieves the dream, but because he doesn't need it. In the end Nick talks about how Gatsby gives up and doesn't care about what Daisy's going to do anymore, and it's in that
@tooch1995 passage that Gatsby wins. He can die and it's okay because he wasn't holding on anymore. I think every character in the Great Gatsby was holding on to this shadow of a dream, possibly even Nick, and Gatsby finally lets go and beats them all. Because the American Dream in this sense isn't attainable, but it is beatable. Gatsby did that, and that's why I think he's a hero
@YouGoOutBruiseYellow oh my god that makes so much sense!! he went above that! oh man now i get it! thank you!! but when exactly does Gatsby give up? when he was killed by wilson...?
@tooch1995 He gives up the ambition he's had. We were talking about it today and Gatsby wasn't always Gatsby, before that wreck where he obtains the start to being wealthy he was Gatz. From there to his death he is the Great Gatsby, this entirely new entity who is, like Nick believes, great. But when he dies he gives up that dream in the sense that he gives up Gatsby. He doesn't need him anymore. He uses the pool he never used before and the water could be seen as a baptism for Gatsby. His death
alright so i dont quite understand how exactly Gatsby can be considered a hero. We were talking about it in my English class the other day but when 2 people raised their hand and were off on the answers my teacher just said "just think about it on your own then". I mean, is he basically just a hero to himself? In terms of, Gatsby finally reaching that green light of his, his dream. Because i really cant see how he is a hero to others. He lost his ambitious strive because of Daisy (part 1)
I feel like an idiot because I didn't know you were John Green until my English teacher showed us this video and my friend said that she loved you... -_- She really loves your books. And I've been watching these videos forever....
I just eat that all up like it was candy. Thank you! You are so insightful. I have to write reading logs on this novel. It's crazy the amount of hidden meaning it has. You explain it in a way that would make even an uninterested student WANT to know more. I'm telling you John, you have GOT to be an English teacher. I'd love English even more if you taught me this novel! You were born to teach. :)
To me, Gatsby seems to be overly obsessive about Daisy's "stuff", not really her. Tom is, as you said, an incredibly violent ass-face. Daisy seems to force her innocent to the point where she is as guilty as the rest of the characters. Jordan...well sheesh, way to be a bitch. Myrtle was stupid but that was established. George was similar to Gatsby, but more obsessed over his wife. Nick is probably the only ok guy in the entire book, just showing how realistic the book is, showing true characters
In regard to Gatsby's less than This-is-my-American-Dream-make-a-lot-of-money-in-an-honest-fashion wealth is it at all like The Count of Monte Cristo?
John, I would argue that at least ONE of the characters in a novel has to be, if not likeable, at least fascinating in their unlikeableness (which is apparently not a word, but oh well). Gatsby is the only character in the story that drew even the most meager amount of curiosity from me, but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy the work...at all. At the end of it all I was chuckling gleefully at the various forms of demise with which these awful, awful people had met.
I just finished this for school and I loved it, but homestly, I think you helped to explain it better. What you said about Gatsby finally using his pool... Oh my God. And the last chapter pretty much made me upset for two full days. It was so sad!!
Why do all of these commenters seem to think it's okay to blatantly plagiarize this video? Hopefully they at least understand that using another person's ideas or insights requires a citation.
Everyone should read this book! It has THE SADDEST ending that could possibly be written in literature. Basically, Nick broods on the fact that all of our aspirations in life are fruitless. We want things because we enchant our goals so splendidly, but when we actually acquire those goals, we're not happy.
Basically, The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest novels of all time because it makes us question the purpose of our lives. We're never happy. We never get what we want. So what is life?
Gatsby is heroic because his quest is something that many do not even dare to follow. As humans we settle for less than we deserve, but in a way Gatsby is also evil that he wants more than he needs. But yeah I'm not sure about my quest yet but to be the best person I can be... I think that's pretty heroic. Thanks John for making love this book even more!
the great gatsby is one of my favorite books, and this video reminded me of why. you pointed out a few details and some symbolism that i hadn't caught before. one of the best things about that book is how it's not only the literal story that fitzgerald is telling, but also the story of the 1920s and the age of materialism and searching for the american dream.
Because of this video, I got the book from my school's library and read it in two days. It was an amazing book, and anyone who hasn't read it should read it. :D
Discuss Gatsby's heroic qualities all you like, but we need to start off with a much simpler question. What does is mean to be heroic? I remember a past video, I believe it was by Hank, where he can't answer a the almighty religion question because he had to first define 'God' and 'believe', so as we must define 'heroic'.
With saying that, I have a soft spot for great Gatsby, and I think he is, in his own way, very heroic.
when discussing whether gatsby is a hero or not is difficult. i think in the past he was, he fought in the war and is described as being heroic and he gets promoted. though after the war as we know he wants daisy, and the only way to get her is to get rich. he does this the dirty way and this portrays him as less heroic. Gatsby just cannot let go of the past and this is his downfall. fitzgeralds message is time gone, can never be regained.
I made my English teacher to play this in class. Everyone kept saying that you were crazy or on Crack. I was about to turn into a Gian Squid of Anger and insult them whit Shakespeare.
Today I bought the book for 1 KM(half an euro, less then a dollar. Yey, capitalism) and, as I was locked out of my house, I decided to spend my time waiting for someone to come back home reading it. I just finished and I must say I like it very much. Your videos helped me understand it better. Thanks :)
P.S.
Green light=Avada Kedavra.*spoilers* That explains the ending.
Similarly, in Mirth, the characters are only able to construct their identities through their possessions, and success is demonstrated through monetary value. I often wonder is the Golden Age, or Seldon's Republic of the Spirit even possible in a society obsessed with superficiality and monetary value?
By way of comparison, I believe the House of Mirth and Gatsby in their presentation and discourse evoke a genuine discomfort in their readers. In Gatsby, the characters are all striving towards a genuine idea - or ideal - of personal "happiness", and are ostensibly unable to come to such a resolve. Their attempts at the ideal life result in unfulfillable debauchery, and triteness.
I just have to say that you are absolutely amazing, Mr. Green, old chap. Something that would also be amazing is if you could do just a short vlog on 'The Tale of Genji' by Murasaki Shikibu; which is also a novel full of symbolism and people trying to reach what they ultimately can't have. It is also, supposedly, the first novel ever written!
I definitely used the "have a leisurely and debaucherous life where you had enough money to buy fancy new cars and enough whisky to crash them" bit at 2:49 as part of my conclusion. I felt like there had to be some John Green in there somewhere because this video kept me motivated through this paper.
I think Gatsby is a hero. He has to courage strive and to suffer in pursuit of a dream even though he knows he is constantly at the mercy of a world indifferent to human endeavor with no guarantees of anything. I guess to that extent we're all heroic.
Today in my English class we were reading and analyzing the poem The Choice by Dorothy Parker. After we read it for the first time, I raised my hand and said "So it's sort of like Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom in the Great Gatsby?" My teacher grinned, gave me a sticker, and told me I'd make an awesome teacher one day.
This is so revealing, John. I always there was Holden in Miles Halter but never realized he was Gatsby trying to be Nick. That's probably oversimplification.
"It wasn't enough to be last guy she kissed. I wanted to be the last guy she loved. And I knew I wasn't. I knew it, and I hated for it."
pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only is it on my couse list this year, but I think it's a great book. Please.
One thing that should be noted is the narrative of the novel and if we should trust the narrators point of view. The book is told from the perspective of Nick rather than Gatsby and it is near the very beginning of the novel, that Nick believes that "Gatsby turned out alright in the end" and continues to reflect upon the past with this view. So, maybe, Nick is bias towards Gatsby and his past reflections might not be entirely truthful. Not to mention Nick drinks a fair amount during the plot.
I don't think Gatsby's quest is as heroic as some, and I don't think my quest is all that heroic either. But I do think that every human being whose quest is to try and be more then a tiny speck on a tiny planet in a tiny galaxy is a huge universe is heroic.
I feel living in the past has no real semblance of heroism.. Yet somehow to the reader, Gatsby in his own convoluted way becomes a hero, because he's charming and passionate and you feel inclined towards his desperate, tragic struggle. But at the same time the voice of reason continues to cry out that he has the potential to use all that passion and hope and lie it in a goal, or even a dream of a girl who is worth his time and thoughts. His greatest weakness is that he misses his own potential.
It is the American dream and the worlds dream. Every time we get what we thought we wanted, we realize that we want more because what we really want is to go back in time to some place when we felt safe, sometime before we discovered violence and corruption, when we were happy, pure and innocent. We want to go the Golden Age."
Used that quote for my English project in college. Thanks :D
So John, I watched this video and I'm like "I need to read the Great Gatsby now" So I went bought it and read it and now:
I think both yes and no, on a basic level I think everyone thinks Gatsby's quest is heoric as you said, that everyone wants to go back to the golden age, yet I also think no as on deeper level, because what I see the book suggesting is that if you keep on trying to create the past, then you will miss the future which I think is one of the saddest things in the novel.
I passed by this the first time it was uploaded but now we're analyzing the book in english and im replying it to catch everything he says! Thanks john- this was SO helpful! :)
The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels. This video is amazing. You are right on all accounts. The book also has one of the most epic last lines of any book.
John if you haven't read it already please find time in between signing and parenting to read Thorstein Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class, Fitzgerald got all of his satirical sociological insights from that work. Great video.
I am so angry with you! I want to keep up and watch all your videos but I have yet to read "The Great Gatsby" and I don't want any spoilers! Curse your literary prowess! DFTBA
@bigfish0886 This video has barely any spoilers - in actual fact very little happens in The Great Gatsby. It's not one of those suspenseful novels in which a character you have grown emotionally attached to dies, such as Harry Potter. It's a very short book that focuses more on symbolism, and themes like class, love, and as John so perfectly says, the american dream. I knew the plot before reading it, but it was still an immensely enjoyable and interesting read - don't let "spoilers" put you off
I hated that book. I was forced to read it in school. The teacher kept saying "most awesome book ever". I kept reading... and nothing. Nothing happened. I really felt nothing happened.
My professor in college suggested that Gatsby was a black man passing for white. The vidence for this theory is that he had no past, no one knew anything about him, etc, Do you support this theory?
Gatsby is heroic. He may have seemed misguidedly destructive my willing the end of the Buchanan's marriage, but not nearly destructive in the way that Nick labels Tom and Daisy in the final passage of the novel. Gatsby's flaw was his single-minded assuredness that he could create something beautiful and love somebody perfectly, despite the harsh reality of the world. He does not have his way and then retreat into his comfortable wealth- he seeks to realize his dream. Nick may be one of very hon
great. Now I actually want to read the great gatsby. Which is saying something since I never wanted to read anything sad as I thought that I had witnessed enough sadness in my life already; reading a depressing book wouldn't help any. *heads to library*
john, you should finish the book before i have to do my IOP for ib english (:
but anyways, gatsby's quest wasn't heroic. sure, he's the tragic hero of the novel, but his quest was in no way heroic. HE ended up telling tom that she never loved him. he was willing to break up a marriage, nonetheless an unhappy one, for personal gain. although gatsby's ambition was admirable, his motives and quest were unpure. i feel like it's almost literary karma that daisy turned the lights out that one night.
also my thoughts on is gatsby heroic.... my understanding of the shakespearean definition of a tragic hero (its a tragedy so yes tragic hero) is that he must be the protaganist and he must have a tragic flaw ... i think gatsby not only fits but is interesting because his flaw is also one thing that makes us sympathize with him:his undieing love for daisy
Okay so I read gatsby recenty for my AP english class and fell in love with it. one thing I've been thinking about is the significance of Owl Eyes. I've been told that there is none but the more I think about it the more I become convinced that Owl Eyes IS Ekelberg ... he is the only other charecter with glasses, he has big eyes, he made a comment about thinking that the books at gatsbys house would be fake (as if maybe he knew gatsby was less than he appered)....am i overkinking it?
Hey I linked my old (past tense old, she's only 30ish) English lit teacher this video and she's planning a revision lesson on it; so your wise words are going to educate around 25 16/17 year old British A-Level literature students. You might even get quoted in an exam. Jus' sayin'.
I want you all to know that I read this book for the very purpose of being able to watch this video. It was worth it, but I am going to need a bigger heads up next time we do a literary discussion video.
"And I think at least in the novel, that had become the American dream by the 1920s. The dream was to, you know, have a leisurely and debaucherous life where you have enough money to buy fancy new cars and enough whiskey to crash them." I just love that quote so much, and I don't know why.
I read this book to understand this video.
mititzi 1 day ago
hoory 4 tom bucanon my favorite character !!!
HaroldsCatMeowMeow 3 days ago
We watched this in our Enlgish class, and you and Phillip De Franco should have a talk-fast contest.
DoABarrelRol1l 3 days ago
wow!! he talks so fast!! amazing.....anyway thanks a lot it was really helpful as i'm preparing for my exams :))
niHaRikAana 3 days ago
errrrrg! this is funny XD and also very true! Does anyone know what page Gatsby says that Daisy's voice is full of money? I remember reading it, but now that I need to find it, I can't find it!!! T_T
hezamoray 4 days ago
@hezamoray it's chapter 7, in my penguin classics copy it's page 115.
importanceofbeing93 1 day ago
@randomgirl22695 um Royboy wants me 2 tell u that he will respond 2 ur responding when he gets off u tube suspension 4 h8 speach...meow
HaroldsCatMeowMeow 4 days ago
All that glitters is not gold
Daremusically13 5 days ago
Eckleburg = Sauron
finderfinder100 6 days ago
I feel sorry for Daisy and Tom's child. She's the real victim! As for Nick, he never acts or does anything. He simply stands there and lets the events unfold which from a narrator's point of view has its uses, but it makes him neither a bad or good person which is worse than either of those things. Despite this, it is one of my favourite books.
Devverrss 1 week ago
The Great Gatsby has to be one of my favorite books of all time. And I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of a nerdy squeal moment when I saw this video.
XoHannahBananaXoXo 1 week ago
Ah, my dear Mr. Green, you proletarian bumblehead,
one, tom Buchanon is the coolest guy in the book.
On the contrary, Tom treats everyone fair and isn't a criminal like Gatsby.
Plus, if you had a vapid wife like Daisy wouldn't you have a mistress?
And he keeps her decently out of the way in NY where Daisy doesn't
have to encounter her, and feels bad when she's killed, which is
more than can be said for Gatsby.
RoyBoyRocket 1 week ago
@RoyBoyRocket ...I don't think you belong on this channel. How can you say Tom is a 'cool' guy? He's violent, supercilious, and generally an asshat. I'm not Daisy's biggest fan, honestly I found her quite annoying. HOWEVER, in that time, that's what women were expected to be like. As for Gatsby, he has his faults, but tries to be honourable and fair and so on, whereas Tom is a racist adulterer. In my opinion, you are wrong.
randomgirl22695 1 week ago
@randomgirl22695 I don't think Gatsby is honorable or fair, he's overcome with his obsession over daisy that he doesn't care who he hurts and crosses, he uses Nick to get closer to Daisy and in his and Tom's argument in New York you can tell that Daisy clearly didn't love Gatsby alone, I don't think any of the characters are good people, but he see Gatsby only through the eyes of Nick and it's through his skewed thoughts that we can make our own.
Somecrazyshish 1 week ago
@Somecrazyshish I know Gatsby's not the greatest, I came off a little Gatsby-obsessed there :L I was just trying to emphasise that Tom is much worse than him. I agree with you that none of the characters are heroes by any stretch of the imagination, but there are varying degrees of awful-ness.
randomgirl22695 6 days ago
@randomgirl22695 Yeah, I agree, Tom is pretty much a douche, he's a cheat and he beat a woman (or at least broke her nose). Though at the end he does give his reasons for disliking Gatsby, I think it's important not to get hung up on whether any of the characters are good or bad because they're a lot more complex, the only character I could call 'good' by any stretch is Michaellis, and he plays a very minor role.
Somecrazyshish 6 days ago
@Somecrazyshish True. I wouldn't say I was saying whether they were good or bad, but Gatsby is sort of likeable, whereas Tom is designed to make the reader hate him. Like I said, none of them are heroes, and most aren't 'good' people- that's what the majority of people were like in that time, and most importantly, lifestyle. I do love the book though.
randomgirl22695 6 days ago
@randomgirl22695 I dont think you shd comment on literary styff til u kno what ur talkin bout...Tom was WAY better than gatsby...gatsby tried to run off w tom's wife (at least tom was just usin gas station girl on the side) and ran around w jew gangsters. tom wdnt run w jew gangsters. plus tom didnt run over anyone or lie about military service or family or have parties where ppl cd get hv drunken accidents plus toms an athlete and tried find his friend Nick a chik...gatsby never did that
RoyBoyRocket 6 days ago
@RoyBoyRocket 1 I don't think you should comment until you learn how to spell. 2 Tom's a complete dick (again, violent racist) 2 Gatsby did 'run off' with Daisy, but they loved each other, and Daisy was deeply unhappy with Tom 3 Tom 'usin gas station girl on the side' (Myrtle) is cheating, which is worse than what Gatsby did (and he didn't go out of his way to break them up.) 4 Jew gangsters? Seriously? 5 Athleticism doesn't make you a good person 6 Who cares about finding a chick? Irrelevant.
randomgirl22695 6 days ago
two, at the NY party w nick and tom they didn't 'utilize' servants (I think you meant 'use') except to send a guy for some stuff for the dog, for which he was well-paid.
RoyBoyRocket 1 week ago
three (circa 1'55"), actually books aren't in any business, but the publishers ARE in the
business of selling books which means having likable characters like the nice and adorable Mr. Buchanon, a role model for us all.
RoyBoyRocket 1 week ago
four (circa 2') Gatsby's party is good cuz (as you say) "it has Gatsby"...ah wrong again you commie stooge, Gatsby doesn't even partake in any of the festivities of the party at all.
RoyBoyRocket 1 week ago
I have read all of Ayn Rands books and tons of other literature and I find the Great Gastby as the boringest book I have tried to read.
KyleClarkUSA 1 week ago
@KyleClarkUSA ah on the contrary, Ms Rand was indeed a very very boring writer as well as being a, ah, a jew.
RoyBoyRocket 1 week ago
i haven't read the great gatsby but now i really want to
mandimegames 1 week ago
just finished the book a minute ago!
stephiiee 1 week ago
I read the book a month ago. I liked it a lot. Thank you very much for your opinion and explanation, John, most people in my environment thought it was so stupid it is not worth thinking about.
Plottoberry 2 weeks ago
I love you
mrnarason 2 weeks ago
My favorite novel. You just reenergized it for me with the beauty of it. Also, I own a Great Gatsby sweatshirt. SO WONDERFUL
TheBlindAssassin93 2 weeks ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
at some point- the signed page in the book on my nightstand was once behind you.... in a box...in this very video. Inception?!
janewiseman 2 weeks ago
My class was discussing how we thought Nick was gay for Mr. McKee. We only got 3 chapters in so far though
BoxOfSquirrels 2 weeks ago in playlist Uploaded videos
You just reduce the last month of my English Lang course to 6:47. And your version was more understandable.
thedragonofthesky 2 weeks ago in playlist Uploaded videos
You didn't discuss the one part of the book that I spent the most time thinking about: the scene with Mr. McKee after the party.
miduchalan1 2 weeks ago
he actually made me like the book O.O
musicmama888 2 weeks ago
leonardo dicaprio is gonna be a great gatsby
musicmama888 2 weeks ago
AND THEN GATSBY FINALLY GETS TO USE HIS POOL.
cloudtoxic 2 weeks ago
amazing.
Albertine2610 3 weeks ago
Rewatching John's Gatsby videos make my AP Lang teacher seem so much less awesome.
jamba66 3 weeks ago
God damn, i wish i'd seen this before my gatsby assessment at school. Pretty sure i couldn't;'t have failed if i was a nerdfighter back then :/
Tzanthor 3 weeks ago
LOL I absolutely LOVE The Great Gatsby! Thanks so much for this!
smugal247 3 weeks ago
One of my absolute favorite books of all time. I've always thought Gatsby was a hero, maybe not the most admirable one, but a hero none the less. Everyone can relate to reaching out for that green light across the water. Also, whenever I'm driving and I see green lights I think of this book :)
RemyScarlett 3 weeks ago
Omg please make more of these! I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it. I have no idea why I never read it sooner.
HPPirates 3 weeks ago
I love The Great Gatsby, it's such a good book! We were reading it in English class & I always had to read ahead :)
2010Niamh 3 weeks ago
Gatsby is a romantic & that makes his character a hero!
donx03 3 weeks ago
Well-fucking-done...a rare find! Now if people could only learn from it...Hell, it's tragic that Fitzgerald didn't seem to learn from it. Excellent. Thank you,
seamoremonster 3 weeks ago
Really wish this video was made about a year ago, before I had to write my essay on it. Oh well, I got a 100 anyway lol
ZacharyDuhamel 3 weeks ago
superbubbleaquapower is right
JustWatchingVideo56 4 weeks ago
(part 2)It was because of Daisy that made him sort of lose sight of what he was doing with his life. Like at the end of the novel when his father showed Nick that note about his schedule and how articulate and planned it was. With Daisy he lost that and worked towards being wealthy to impress her. Hence his illegal actions, because of his undying desire for Daisy. Sorry went a big tangent there. I really enjoyed this book and would just like to get more out of it! If anyonehasany insight, thanks
tooch1995 4 weeks ago
@tooch1995 I think Gatsby is a hero in the sense of beating the American dream. Yes, all throughout the novel he's trying to cling on to this past self and innocence of himself through Daisy, and he tries to get that past back. And, like John said, that is the American Dream. But Gatsby beats it, not in the way that he achieves the dream, but because he doesn't need it. In the end Nick talks about how Gatsby gives up and doesn't care about what Daisy's going to do anymore, and it's in that
YouGoOutBruiseYellow 3 weeks ago
@tooch1995 passage that Gatsby wins. He can die and it's okay because he wasn't holding on anymore. I think every character in the Great Gatsby was holding on to this shadow of a dream, possibly even Nick, and Gatsby finally lets go and beats them all. Because the American Dream in this sense isn't attainable, but it is beatable. Gatsby did that, and that's why I think he's a hero
YouGoOutBruiseYellow 3 weeks ago
@YouGoOutBruiseYellow oh my god that makes so much sense!! he went above that! oh man now i get it! thank you!! but when exactly does Gatsby give up? when he was killed by wilson...?
tooch1995 3 weeks ago
@tooch1995 He gives up the ambition he's had. We were talking about it today and Gatsby wasn't always Gatsby, before that wreck where he obtains the start to being wealthy he was Gatz. From there to his death he is the Great Gatsby, this entirely new entity who is, like Nick believes, great. But when he dies he gives up that dream in the sense that he gives up Gatsby. He doesn't need him anymore. He uses the pool he never used before and the water could be seen as a baptism for Gatsby. His death
YouGoOutBruiseYellow 3 weeks ago
@tooch1995 was both a physical and metaphorical one. Not only is this persona dying but at the same time Gatsby himself is dying.
YouGoOutBruiseYellow 3 weeks ago
alright so i dont quite understand how exactly Gatsby can be considered a hero. We were talking about it in my English class the other day but when 2 people raised their hand and were off on the answers my teacher just said "just think about it on your own then". I mean, is he basically just a hero to himself? In terms of, Gatsby finally reaching that green light of his, his dream. Because i really cant see how he is a hero to others. He lost his ambitious strive because of Daisy (part 1)
tooch1995 4 weeks ago
SPOILER(ISH) WARNING FOR TFIOS:
I'd say the ending of your book is one of the saddest passages in American literature.
randomriter1 4 weeks ago
Should I show this to my American Literature class before or after we read The Great Gatsby?
BMJVC 1 month ago
Boy, what I would have given to have seen this a year ago when we read it in English -__-
bac0nstripp3rz 1 month ago
I feel like an idiot because I didn't know you were John Green until my English teacher showed us this video and my friend said that she loved you... -_- She really loves your books. And I've been watching these videos forever....
ILuvSupernatural1 1 month ago
I just eat that all up like it was candy. Thank you! You are so insightful. I have to write reading logs on this novel. It's crazy the amount of hidden meaning it has. You explain it in a way that would make even an uninterested student WANT to know more. I'm telling you John, you have GOT to be an English teacher. I'd love English even more if you taught me this novel! You were born to teach. :)
kizzy75 1 month ago 2
SUCH a good book.
mandyretardiffff 1 month ago 2
You have explained this wonderful novel FAR better than my AP English teacher ever could have. Beauty.
MarlyMarly69 1 month ago 2
We're studying The Great Gatsby. I came back to this video.
Thank you John for being more knowledgeable than my teacher.
TheRandomDork 1 month ago
Is it weird that after this video I now have a Vlogbrothers video to show to every single one of my teachers?
AngieDNalalal13 1 month ago
I would have done anything to have an english teacher like you in high school. Go into education If you ever burn out as a writer. Kids need you!
MrMichaelblake 1 month ago
It's been about 8 years since I last read Gatsby, but this video has inspired me to reread it.
Well done!
OzuManful 1 month ago
To me, Gatsby seems to be overly obsessive about Daisy's "stuff", not really her. Tom is, as you said, an incredibly violent ass-face. Daisy seems to force her innocent to the point where she is as guilty as the rest of the characters. Jordan...well sheesh, way to be a bitch. Myrtle was stupid but that was established. George was similar to Gatsby, but more obsessed over his wife. Nick is probably the only ok guy in the entire book, just showing how realistic the book is, showing true characters
isisismynamemarie 1 month ago
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siriustarkid11 1 month ago
In regard to Gatsby's less than This-is-my-American-Dream-make-a-lot-of-money-in-an-honest-fashion wealth is it at all like The Count of Monte Cristo?
messyhair42 1 month ago
John, I would argue that at least ONE of the characters in a novel has to be, if not likeable, at least fascinating in their unlikeableness (which is apparently not a word, but oh well). Gatsby is the only character in the story that drew even the most meager amount of curiosity from me, but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy the work...at all. At the end of it all I was chuckling gleefully at the various forms of demise with which these awful, awful people had met.
jaymeeboh 1 month ago 3
I just finished this for school and I loved it, but homestly, I think you helped to explain it better. What you said about Gatsby finally using his pool... Oh my God. And the last chapter pretty much made me upset for two full days. It was so sad!!
elephantsonparade321 1 month ago
My favorite part, however horrible this sounds, is that NOBODY shows up to Gatsby's funeral. No one loved him as nick did.
theawesomeone1029 1 month ago 3
"And then Gatsby finally gets to use his pool."
A beautiful way to describe it, John. A beautiful, haunting, and sweet way to look at it.
SamCruzPinay 1 month ago 64
I really wish teachers explained things the way you two do.
snowglobemetronome 1 month ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
I just finished the book for my English class. Tom Buchanan makes Valdemort look like Dr. Doofenshmirtz
Threllsfromwowlol 1 month ago 29
Why do all of these commenters seem to think it's okay to blatantly plagiarize this video? Hopefully they at least understand that using another person's ideas or insights requires a citation.
dumbledoreswoman 1 month ago 4
Everyone should read this book! It has THE SADDEST ending that could possibly be written in literature. Basically, Nick broods on the fact that all of our aspirations in life are fruitless. We want things because we enchant our goals so splendidly, but when we actually acquire those goals, we're not happy.
Basically, The Great Gatsby is one of the greatest novels of all time because it makes us question the purpose of our lives. We're never happy. We never get what we want. So what is life?
SagaciousSilence 1 month ago
Gatsby is heroic because his quest is something that many do not even dare to follow. As humans we settle for less than we deserve, but in a way Gatsby is also evil that he wants more than he needs. But yeah I'm not sure about my quest yet but to be the best person I can be... I think that's pretty heroic. Thanks John for making love this book even more!
sweetpnai93 1 month ago
better than sparknotes...
StarDust9637 1 month ago
That make your brain go...(act like a chicken with an irish accent)
dalekmum 1 month ago
the great gatsby is one of my favorite books, and this video reminded me of why. you pointed out a few details and some symbolism that i hadn't caught before. one of the best things about that book is how it's not only the literal story that fitzgerald is telling, but also the story of the 1920s and the age of materialism and searching for the american dream.
jumbofreakinshrimp 1 month ago
ya blinked alot in yhis video...........one sec OMGOMGOMG ya blinked!
Jangarnet01 1 month ago
Stay golden, Poneyboy.
pineapplez342 2 months ago 4
heres a really simple synopsis of the great gatsby
Nothing happens
Nothing happens
Nothing happens
Nothing happens
He dies.
TACTICALAIRSOFTdevon 2 months ago
Have I mentioned the blatant misuse of the word titular?
johnniewalker2222 2 months ago
Because of this video, I got the book from my school's library and read it in two days. It was an amazing book, and anyone who hasn't read it should read it. :D
Fimbulvetrstar 2 months ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
Gatsby needed to takes his head out of his ass - Daisy was fucking Tom, how could she tell Gatsby she has/had no feelings towards Tom?
youngnewtonian 2 months ago
@youngnewtonian for some sex is an act, not and emotion nor a feeling. Sad but true...
trosbak 2 months ago
Discuss Gatsby's heroic qualities all you like, but we need to start off with a much simpler question. What does is mean to be heroic? I remember a past video, I believe it was by Hank, where he can't answer a the almighty religion question because he had to first define 'God' and 'believe', so as we must define 'heroic'.
With saying that, I have a soft spot for great Gatsby, and I think he is, in his own way, very heroic.
BeatlesFan1962 2 months ago
Would it be fair to say that the green light is a shoutout to Samuel Taylor Coleridge?
BardOfShwa 2 months ago
when discussing whether gatsby is a hero or not is difficult. i think in the past he was, he fought in the war and is described as being heroic and he gets promoted. though after the war as we know he wants daisy, and the only way to get her is to get rich. he does this the dirty way and this portrays him as less heroic. Gatsby just cannot let go of the past and this is his downfall. fitzgeralds message is time gone, can never be regained.
typicalmatt 2 months ago
I believe you just made me pass my English final.
Neophoenix965 2 months ago
I was inspired to read this book because of John!
12gearsfan 2 months ago
I made my English teacher to play this in class. Everyone kept saying that you were crazy or on Crack. I was about to turn into a Gian Squid of Anger and insult them whit Shakespeare.
BeautifullyTragicxx 2 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
Today I bought the book for 1 KM(half an euro, less then a dollar. Yey, capitalism) and, as I was locked out of my house, I decided to spend my time waiting for someone to come back home reading it. I just finished and I must say I like it very much. Your videos helped me understand it better. Thanks :)
P.S.
Green light=Avada Kedavra.*spoilers* That explains the ending.
TheNeiraaa 2 months ago
Is this sad that this is how I'm studying for my Gatsby test tommorrow?
Naraic7 2 months ago 40
@Naraic7 there's a club mate :)
101mrbump 3 weeks ago
@Naraic7 I'm doing the same thing!
basketballjessica1 1 week ago
OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU
THAKYOUUU
shakeitlikapompom1 2 months ago
I'm showing this video to my english teacher. Hopefully she'll show it in class. DFTBA!
squishy300 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Similarly, in Mirth, the characters are only able to construct their identities through their possessions, and success is demonstrated through monetary value. I often wonder is the Golden Age, or Seldon's Republic of the Spirit even possible in a society obsessed with superficiality and monetary value?
downtotheark 2 months ago
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downtotheark 2 months ago
By way of comparison, I believe the House of Mirth and Gatsby in their presentation and discourse evoke a genuine discomfort in their readers. In Gatsby, the characters are all striving towards a genuine idea - or ideal - of personal "happiness", and are ostensibly unable to come to such a resolve. Their attempts at the ideal life result in unfulfillable debauchery, and triteness.
downtotheark 2 months ago
I just have to say that you are absolutely amazing, Mr. Green, old chap. Something that would also be amazing is if you could do just a short vlog on 'The Tale of Genji' by Murasaki Shikibu; which is also a novel full of symbolism and people trying to reach what they ultimately can't have. It is also, supposedly, the first novel ever written!
uminotenshi6 3 months ago
this is like really goood when he explain the american's dream and the world's dream woww reallly good
catherinebaby9395 3 months ago
YOU GENIUS YOU
Lesssadmorehappy 3 months ago
I definitely used the "have a leisurely and debaucherous life where you had enough money to buy fancy new cars and enough whisky to crash them" bit at 2:49 as part of my conclusion. I felt like there had to be some John Green in there somewhere because this video kept me motivated through this paper.
DFTBA
MrKiaichi 3 months ago
Thesis statement for my Critical Paper: Check. ;)
gabicks 3 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
I put this up on the projector in English last week :) My class loved it! Made a few new nerdfighters, methinks.
xPrincessKx 3 months ago
you just wrote my Gatsby essay. Thanks John!
SXLePiC 3 months ago 113
@SXLePiC I was just glad he had so many 'golden' references for me to write the golden essay.
Sabortooftigar 2 months ago
I think Gatsby is a hero. He has to courage strive and to suffer in pursuit of a dream even though he knows he is constantly at the mercy of a world indifferent to human endeavor with no guarantees of anything. I guess to that extent we're all heroic.
MrSydable 3 months ago 2
Today in my English class we were reading and analyzing the poem The Choice by Dorothy Parker. After we read it for the first time, I raised my hand and said "So it's sort of like Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom in the Great Gatsby?" My teacher grinned, gave me a sticker, and told me I'd make an awesome teacher one day.
BeatrixNemesis 3 months ago 2
I'm currently re-reading The Great Gatsby. God, I love symbolism.
aVeganFeminist 3 months ago
Do you mean eponymous when you say titular?
Signed,
Correct use of English nerdfighters -- This is not a grammatical error
johnniewalker2222 3 months ago
This is so revealing, John. I always there was Holden in Miles Halter but never realized he was Gatsby trying to be Nick. That's probably oversimplification.
"It wasn't enough to be last guy she kissed. I wanted to be the last guy she loved. And I knew I wasn't. I knew it, and I hated for it."
johnniewalker2222 3 months ago
Gaaaah I love the deepness of what you say. It's so epic.
ScrodngrsCat 3 months ago
Dear John,
pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only is it on my couse list this year, but I think it's a great book. Please.
kikiann11 3 months ago 3
One thing that should be noted is the narrative of the novel and if we should trust the narrators point of view. The book is told from the perspective of Nick rather than Gatsby and it is near the very beginning of the novel, that Nick believes that "Gatsby turned out alright in the end" and continues to reflect upon the past with this view. So, maybe, Nick is bias towards Gatsby and his past reflections might not be entirely truthful. Not to mention Nick drinks a fair amount during the plot.
EldritchThing 3 months ago
We played this awesome Great Gatsby game in english, it was awesome (yes I know, nothing to do with this video)
play it here: greatgatsbygame . com
rachelsinger95 4 months ago
i finished the book today
chocolateheaven882 4 months ago
I hate the The Great Gatsby it's such an overrated book.
stillasp 4 months ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
@stillasp boo!
hjguyfuyfg 4 months ago
I don't think Gatsby's quest is as heroic as some, and I don't think my quest is all that heroic either. But I do think that every human being whose quest is to try and be more then a tiny speck on a tiny planet in a tiny galaxy is a huge universe is heroic.
RachelBerryGoldStar 4 months ago 5
Oh my God become an English teacher kthx. You will change the freaking world (even more).
superbubbleaquapower 4 months ago 138
@superbubbleaquapower He already has. My world.
rickbrossgraphics 1 month ago
I feel living in the past has no real semblance of heroism.. Yet somehow to the reader, Gatsby in his own convoluted way becomes a hero, because he's charming and passionate and you feel inclined towards his desperate, tragic struggle. But at the same time the voice of reason continues to cry out that he has the potential to use all that passion and hope and lie it in a goal, or even a dream of a girl who is worth his time and thoughts. His greatest weakness is that he misses his own potential.
xmadaboutmusicxxx 4 months ago 2
"
It is the American dream and the worlds dream. Every time we get what we thought we wanted, we realize that we want more because what we really want is to go back in time to some place when we felt safe, sometime before we discovered violence and corruption, when we were happy, pure and innocent. We want to go the Golden Age."
Used that quote for my English project in college. Thanks :D
RAHHicecream 4 months ago
@bwaychick20 Both !
nlm2nd 4 months ago
So John, I watched this video and I'm like "I need to read the Great Gatsby now" So I went bought it and read it and now:
I think both yes and no, on a basic level I think everyone thinks Gatsby's quest is heoric as you said, that everyone wants to go back to the golden age, yet I also think no as on deeper level, because what I see the book suggesting is that if you keep on trying to create the past, then you will miss the future which I think is one of the saddest things in the novel.
romantheflash 4 months ago
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romantheflash 4 months ago
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romantheflash 4 months ago
"Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her..."
citrinestone 4 months ago
We were doing this book in lit and I saw this which was the actual reason I subscribed
raisinfuntime 4 months ago
I passed by this the first time it was uploaded but now we're analyzing the book in english and im replying it to catch everything he says! Thanks john- this was SO helpful! :)
frubeyful 4 months ago
The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels. This video is amazing. You are right on all accounts. The book also has one of the most epic last lines of any book.
knit0004 4 months ago
John Green, i never loved Tom, I have always loved you.
technicolorzombies 4 months ago 3
Was just thinking what an amazing English teacher you'd be :)
nalalul 4 months ago 3
U should be a high school English teacher
Dudemandudeman19 4 months ago 3
"And Gatsby finally gets to use his pool." Oh you horrible, hilarious man.
MoonintheClouds 4 months ago 5
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Catutihh 4 months ago
John if you haven't read it already please find time in between signing and parenting to read Thorstein Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class, Fitzgerald got all of his satirical sociological insights from that work. Great video.
giddensisadualist 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hey everybody! I just posted a video where i'm wearing a dress while simultaneously being a 6'2" bearded 17 yr. old male.
If you'd like, you should come check out my channel when you're done here!!! :)
DFTBA
TheJollynerd 4 months ago
I am so angry with you! I want to keep up and watch all your videos but I have yet to read "The Great Gatsby" and I don't want any spoilers! Curse your literary prowess! DFTBA
bigfish0886 4 months ago
@bigfish0886 This video has barely any spoilers - in actual fact very little happens in The Great Gatsby. It's not one of those suspenseful novels in which a character you have grown emotionally attached to dies, such as Harry Potter. It's a very short book that focuses more on symbolism, and themes like class, love, and as John so perfectly says, the american dream. I knew the plot before reading it, but it was still an immensely enjoyable and interesting read - don't let "spoilers" put you off
mazzamoush 4 months ago
@mazzamoush Whew! Thanks for the heads up!
bigfish0886 4 months ago
I hated that book. I was forced to read it in school. The teacher kept saying "most awesome book ever". I kept reading... and nothing. Nothing happened. I really felt nothing happened.
JoeyWheelerKaiba 4 months ago
My professor in college suggested that Gatsby was a black man passing for white. The vidence for this theory is that he had no past, no one knew anything about him, etc, Do you support this theory?
TheFlapper 4 months ago
I'm sorry, but I prefer my books to have likable characters (Nick is not bad but not likable). Also, "old sport" was my favorite part of the book.
corphish129 4 months ago
im just looking to convince my ex-girlfriend to trust me again... I don't care if it is heroic or not
thelasttrueassassin 5 months ago
im just looking to convince my ex-girlfriend to trust me again... I don't care if it is heroic or not
thelasttrueassassin 5 months ago
Gatsby is heroic. He may have seemed misguidedly destructive my willing the end of the Buchanan's marriage, but not nearly destructive in the way that Nick labels Tom and Daisy in the final passage of the novel. Gatsby's flaw was his single-minded assuredness that he could create something beautiful and love somebody perfectly, despite the harsh reality of the world. He does not have his way and then retreat into his comfortable wealth- he seeks to realize his dream. Nick may be one of very hon
SophisticatedBanjo 5 months ago
Why did I not watch this before my GCSE?
POLLEHandROSANNAR 5 months ago 3
great. Now I actually want to read the great gatsby. Which is saying something since I never wanted to read anything sad as I thought that I had witnessed enough sadness in my life already; reading a depressing book wouldn't help any. *heads to library*
ImpossiblyBitsy 5 months ago
@ImpossiblyBitsy it's not sad at all. i think it has something to do with the fact that the narrator (nick carraway) is quite the wallflower
hugsfromholly 4 months ago
john, you should finish the book before i have to do my IOP for ib english (:
but anyways, gatsby's quest wasn't heroic. sure, he's the tragic hero of the novel, but his quest was in no way heroic. HE ended up telling tom that she never loved him. he was willing to break up a marriage, nonetheless an unhappy one, for personal gain. although gatsby's ambition was admirable, his motives and quest were unpure. i feel like it's almost literary karma that daisy turned the lights out that one night.
shortyroxursox18 5 months ago
also my thoughts on is gatsby heroic.... my understanding of the shakespearean definition of a tragic hero (its a tragedy so yes tragic hero) is that he must be the protaganist and he must have a tragic flaw ... i think gatsby not only fits but is interesting because his flaw is also one thing that makes us sympathize with him:his undieing love for daisy
illegiblytyped 5 months ago
Okay so I read gatsby recenty for my AP english class and fell in love with it. one thing I've been thinking about is the significance of Owl Eyes. I've been told that there is none but the more I think about it the more I become convinced that Owl Eyes IS Ekelberg ... he is the only other charecter with glasses, he has big eyes, he made a comment about thinking that the books at gatsbys house would be fake (as if maybe he knew gatsby was less than he appered)....am i overkinking it?
illegiblytyped 5 months ago 2
what are you doing with all the pieces of calendar from past days?
equalsLIFE 5 months ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
when I first read the Great Gatsby I was 12 and very confused, I think I might reread it now that I'm older.
youcancallmenora 5 months ago
OMG! I love that book! It's one of my favorites :D
So glad you talked about it... brought me back to highschool!
marielitai 5 months ago
Hey I linked my old (past tense old, she's only 30ish) English lit teacher this video and she's planning a revision lesson on it; so your wise words are going to educate around 25 16/17 year old British A-Level literature students. You might even get quoted in an exam. Jus' sayin'.
loftyj1 5 months ago 4
Brilliant!
bbking006 5 months ago
great video! Gatsby's quest was not heroic. It's not like he was an Argonaut; he merely aspired to stealing another bloke's wife.
minervasp73 5 months ago
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RickhatesScott 5 months ago in playlist More videos from vlogbrothers
quality video. awesome.
sparkling121 5 months ago
where was this video when I was writing my Gatsby essay?? I seriously would have included you in it.
ThisIsBrenn 5 months ago
5:26 so many words beginning with w!
grrrbuddy 5 months ago
I want you all to know that I read this book for the very purpose of being able to watch this video. It was worth it, but I am going to need a bigger heads up next time we do a literary discussion video.
TheKingUrchin 5 months ago
"And I think at least in the novel, that had become the American dream by the 1920s. The dream was to, you know, have a leisurely and debaucherous life where you have enough money to buy fancy new cars and enough whiskey to crash them." I just love that quote so much, and I don't know why.
xallltimelowx75 5