Velshi Banned Book Club: 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald turns 100 - Velshi - MSNBC

[Rhiannon12866]

100 years after its original publication, “The Great Gatsby” continues to inspire reimaginings, including from author Claire Anderson Wheeler (new novel: “The Gatsby Gambit”) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok, (new musical “Gatsby: An American Myth”).

Ultimately, the novel is a condemnation of greed and the upper class, an examination of the fallacy of the American dream, and, in Fitzgerald’s own words, a story of “aspiration”. In Jay Gatsby’s America, self-making and reinvention is, at once, possible and celebrated, and feared and reviled.

This critical examination of the unachievable American Dream makes “The Great Gatsby” a target for book bans and challenges – and it is often pulled from shelves. It’s “one of the most potent translations of the American mentality,” says Majok. “This is our American myth.” - Aired on 04/19/2025.

[TexasTowelie]

1. "The Great Gatsby" was required reading in my American Literature class during my junior year of high school.

The MAGAts can't tolerate the ideas that were taught in such stories along with "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Animal Farm," and "1984". It is difficult to believe that the story is banned now in certain areas.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Same here! It sounds like all the books that we read that year qualify for Velshi's "Banned Book Club!"

And that teacher, who was one of my favorites, was an older lady and a practicing Catholic.

[TexasTowelie]

3. My teacher during my junior year was extremely tough.

I rounded up to a 90 average (A-) for three consecutive six-week periods and made an 88 on the final to round up to a 90 for the semester. I've always felt like I was a "B" student as far as I'm concerned.

My senior year was quite different when I averaged a 96 in the class. During one six-week period the teacher had us sign a contract to commit to reading a certain number of books. I found a flaw in the contract such that it was ambiguous and argued my point. The teacher realized her error and she had to correct the grades for all three classes of senior English so that 30 out of 70 students received higher grades. I was the hero of the class and illustrated the point that contracts better be iron-clad, especially when written by an English teacher.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Sounds to me like you were an honor student! As well as a hero to your classmates

I think my teacher thought a lot of me since she wrote "I hope to hear good things about you" in my yearbook. Though when we read "The Scarlet Letter" and had to write an essay on it, that teacher read one of those essays aloud to the class and I could tell she didn't approve. I realized it was mine and I had said that I didn't think that Hester Prynne did anything wrong - she had an abusive husband! I wonder how that would go over today - or if "The Scarlet Letter" is on the banned book list.