Fiction
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Summary
Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former love, Daisy Buchanan.
Key Quotes
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
"I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
Why It's Relevant Today
A masterful critique of the American Dream, social stratification, and the illusion of wealth. Its portrayal of decadence and disillusionment in the 1920s continues to be a powerful lens through which we can examine our own society's values.