Was Gatsby Great? The Great Gatsby Part 2: Crash Course Literature #5

SPOILER ALERT: This video assumes you’ve read the book.

In which John Green continues to explore F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. In this installment, John looks into the titular Gatsby’s purported Greatness. Gatsby’s single-minded pursuit of Daisy, his checkered past, and his checkered present all play a role in determining whether he was, in fact, great. Here’s a hint: you don’t have to be good to be great. It turns out greatness doesn’t have much to do with whether you’re a good person. Along the way, John explores the relentless forward march of time, the use of poetic language, and the ironic titling of novels.