F. Scott Fitzgerald
In the first few pages of The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I read a somewhat confusing glimpse of what the story is going to entail. Immediately upon picking up the book, my mind began to analyze some of the first words Fitzgerald wrote. The second sentence of the book really got me thinking. Carraway recalled some advice he received from his father at a young age. His father said,
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one... just remember that all the
people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had" (Fitzgerald, 1).
This piece of advice really seemed to relate to my life. Having grown up in a privileged family and attended prestigious Catholic schools, I have truly had my fair share of advantages in life. I have had a multitude of amazing opportunities in my life. For example, I left the country for the first time at the mere age of seven, and, by the end of this summer, I will have already traveled to three countries multiple times in my sixteen short years alive. I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have had thus far in my life. Furthermore, I realize others do not experience the same blessed life I cherish. This advice from Fitzgerald's father has taught me to view the world not only through my eyes, the eyes of a sixteen-year-old teenager living on the south side of Indianapolis, but also through the eyes of the rich, the poor, the healthy, the sick and all other sorts of people scattered across the world. I have realized it is not acceptable to judge others, because everyone has gone through different life experiences and every opportunity has made them the person they are with the beliefs they hold. Having read this piece of advice has given me a new outlook on others.
Betsy, make sure you don't confuse the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, with characters in the story. It's the narrator who recalls the advice from his father, not Fitzgerald.
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