My book club debate on 'The Great Gatsby' went sideways after my uncle called it a rich people problem story

I was at a family BBQ last Sunday and my uncle, who worked construction his whole life, said Gatsby is just about rich people acting dumb with their money. I argued it was about the American Dream and all that. But he pointed out that Gatsby's whole tragedy comes from trying to buy his way into a world that never wanted him. That hit different because ive been in book club debates where everyone talks themes but nobody mentions class. It made me rethink if we're all just intellectualizing the story instead of seeing it for what it is. Has anyone else had a family member cut through the BS on a classic in a way that stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

jones.anna25d ago

Your uncle's got a point that's hard to shake. My own dad once said Moby Dick is just a guy who really hates a fish and nobody's got time for that nonsense. He wasn't wrong, and now I can't read it without hearing his voice. Sometimes the folks who never stepped foot in a classroom see the story clearer than the ones with degrees. It's humbling when a relative boils down a classic to something that simple and it sticks with you.

margaret_kelly5525d ago

About five years ago I would have argued Moby Dick was too deep for such a simple take, but now I see it different. Your dad's line cuts right through all the fancy talk people pile on top of that book. Sometimes the plain truth from someone who just tells it like it is teaches us more than a whole semester of literature class.