Week 2: Literary work and The Great Gatsby

Literary work in the simplest terms is the art of written work. Literature actually means, ‘Things made from letters’.

Going a bit more in detail, literary work is imaginative or creative writing expressed in letters of the alphabet. That's a rather broad definition for a broad subject.

The UK makes defining literary work a bit easier as they have made it a part of copyright law since at least 1710. This copyright law defines literary work as ‘any work, other than a dramatic or musical work, which is written, spoken or sung’.

Many things can be classified as literary work even essays and poems as they are in fact ‘things made from letters’. Philosophical, historical, journalistic, and scientific writings are usually thought as literature as well.

With such a broad definition it seems like almost anything can be classified as a literary work of some kind or another. Even some comics could be considered as such as they use words for dialogue in most cases.

Now what does this have to do with he book, "The Great Gatsby"?

The Great Gatsby was a book written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. The book revolves around the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and infatuation with Daisy Buchanan in the made-up town of West Egg on Long Island in the summer of 1922. It focuses on the relationships of the residents including Jay and Daisy told from the mouth of an outsider Nick Carraway. The book also helps provide a look into life during the Roaring Twenties giving glimpses of the evolution of jazz music, flapper culture, and bootlegging during prohibition.

Many would call the book a literary classic not to mention one of the greatest works of American literature for these looks into the past. But looking at the book its self does this make it literary work?

Yes, yes it does.