The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a known piece of classic literature. It is often referred to as a “Great American Novel” by many people. And following closely in its path, only the way to becoming a classic, is the novel Atonement, by Ian McEwan. To become a real classic piece of literature there are some criteria a novel must meet. A novel must use effective language. It must also have a universal appeal. Finally a classic novel must be timeless. These are all criteria that I will use to argue why the novel Atonement, by McEwan, is a classic just like The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald.
It is often a topic of argument: What makes a classic? Well because “a classic” can define just about anything, we first will narrow it down. This paper will focus on the field of literature. Still what makes a piece of literature a classic? Well as outline above, the most common criteria for literature tend to focus on language of a novel, a novels appeal to a large audience, and its ability to endure time. These are three basic criteria that are accepted by most critics and I agree with their ability to separate a good novel from a classic one. Now that we know what criteria we are basing our decisions on we must define them clearly so that there isn’t any confusion.
To start with the language of a novel can be a crucial it its determination of whether or not it is a classic. As obvious as it may seem, effective language is the foundation of good writing. Effective writing is in word choice, sentence structure, phrasing, etc. It is also the experience in which the reader engages the text. No matter who reads it they can understand because the language is able to change to suit its audience. Many parts make up a good piece of lite...

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... endless. It is relatively sarcastic in pointing out that we cannot keep consuming and living that way that we did in the 20’s without any consequences. This is something we encounter again in our time and age. It’s something that we will keep on doing. This also isn’t just in America. It is happening worldwide. Fitzgerald was and still continues to comment on society, human nature and the pursuit of wealth. The Great Gatsby also has the timeless quality to change with a person as the grown. As a younger person, one might interpret the story being all about some homeless romantic in love with one woman, who did everything for love. This seems a very valid view of this story. However when one grows and looks back on the story they begin to feel sorry for Gatsby. One now can realize that dreams where actually crushed, and how impossible his love for Daisy actually is.