The Great Gatsby

Like in any novel, there are themes, or lessons, to tell the reader what the story is about, keep the story organized, or to teach a hidden lesson that can relate to everyday life. The themes in The Great Gatsby are:

Honesty: The novel begins with our narrator, Nick Carraway, tell us where he comes from and how he was raised. Throughout the novel, it is suggested that Nick is not one to like people who lie. This is made evident because he does not like Tom Buchanan after finding out that he has a mistress in New York City. Nick still likes Gatsby despite it being rumored that he has lied and cheated his way to becoming wealthy. Nick also befriends a woman named Jordan Baker who is said to have cheated in a golf tournament.

Violence: There is quite a bit of violence that takes place in the story. The first sign of it is when Tom hits his mistress after she gets drunk and out of hand. Later, the violence escalates when Daisy kills Myrtle, Tom's mistress, with Gatsby's car. Later, the violence ends when George Wilson, Myrtle's husband, kills Gatsby and later himself.