In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
These are the words that open the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby. The story was written in the Jazz Age, when long beads were part of the culture and the Roarin' 20's were in full swing. The main character is Nick Carraway, who had moved to an area on Long Island, New York where other recently rich people live. At some point in his learning about the bond business, he finds out about a man named Jay Gatsby, who regularly throws large parties on Saturday nights. Through the story, there are extra-marital affairs that are explored (e.g. Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson; Daisy Buchanan and Gatsby), which combined with the power that goes along with having a lot of money, throws everything into chaos. In all of this, as more is discovered about Gatsby, his life begins to unravel, and eventually, he is shot dead.
What makes The Great Gatsby a must read? It gives an example of how the American Dream can be corrupted when money and power is involved, and how quickly friends can disappear when the money is all gone, which is evident when only three people show up for Gatsby's funeral. True, most people will likely not have lived during the Jazz Age, but the lessons from the book can be applied even today.
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