Novel: The Great Gatsby

i) Thriller novel

The Great Gatsby is most popular thriller novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 20th century many literary forms developed and old forms were modified. In modern times, new literature known as popular literature emerged. The thriller falls under the category of popular literature. It essentially include the elements of suspense and romance. The thriller novel thrills reader through its content. The hero of Great Gatsby is romantic by nature. He leads the life of 'eat, drink and be merry'. He is fond of giving parties not only to his friends and relatives but also to the strangers.

ii) Love Triangle

The central theme of the novel is love triangle in which Tom Buchanan is the husband, Daisy Buchanan is the wife and Jay Gatsy is the outsider. The story revolves around these three characters. Jay identifies himself as the old lover of Daisy and claims that she is his first and true love. On the other hand Tom develops an extra marital relationship with Myrtle Wilson , The wife of George Wilson. Though Tom loved Daisy very much, he kept myrtle as his mistress. The novel reflects loose moral standards of the American society.

iii) Narrator

Nick Caraway is one of the major character of the novel. He is the narrator character as we know the entire story through him. He is the young bachelor from a Patrician mid-Western. He belonged to the wealthy family but he had very modest living.Daisy Buchanan the heroine of the novel, was Nick's second cousin once removed. Nick becomes the next door neighbour of Jay Gatsby and he also proves to be the well wisher of Jay Gatsby. He narrates the thrilling life story of Jay Gatsby with a neutral attitude. Daisy's friend Jordan was attracted to Nick and the affair begins between the two but Nick predicts the relationship as a superficial one.


"He is a bootlegger," said the young lady, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers"

This is the sentence spoken by one of the lady in the party of James Gatsby. She reveals the true identity of James by saying that he is is a bootlegger. She knows that Gatsby was connected to the underworld activities. The references suggested that the entire life of Gatsby was connected to sensuous pleasures.

iv) Failure in love

"Nothing happened," I said vainly. "I wailed, and about 4 o'clock she came to the window and stood there for a minute and then turned out the light."

James wanting to revive his past love speaks to Nick. Hence, he came to long island and bought a house in West Egg not very far from the Buchanans' at a visible distance. He desperately longed for getting back the love of Daisy for him. He wanted to see her face at the window of his house but did not succeed. The present reference shows Jay's intensity of love feeling for Daisy. These love feelings are marked with a sense of disappointment.