Throughout my schooling, I have not only read, but I have also analyzed the famous novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald countless times. This has made me wonder: why is this book important to both high school, and college education? And why has so much emphasis been placed on this book in particular? To somebody who has maybe read the novel once or twice, or perhaps not at all, the answer to this question may seem obvious.

However, to someone who has read the book, and has watched both the new and the old movies enough to consider themselves an avid fan, the answer is much deeper than it appears to be. Personally, every time I have read the story, or I have watched the movie I have taken away another piece of information or life lesson away from the book's narrator Nick Carraway and his experiences. Here are some life lessons I have learned from The Great Gatsby.

Firstly, I have learned that people, including myself, will meet an array of different people throughout their lifetimes. It is a fact that as you grow older, you will encounter many different people of many different calibers. They will have different personality types, they will be of different ages and they will come from many different backgrounds.

Throughout narrator, Nick Carraway's experiences in the novel, he meets an array of different people. He meets those who are selfish, caught up in their own money and greed. He also meets individuals who are living in the past and are searching for the nearly unattainable, such as love. Take Nick's experience as a life lesson: no matter who you meet, each person will be unique and there is surely a lot you can learn.

Secondly, I have learned that humans, as a species, are all in search of their own version of happiness. No two people's ideas of happiness are completely identical and some things that make one person happy may not bring the same joy to another person. It is a fact that everyone is entitled to chase after their dreams, find their passions, and pursue happiness as they wish to. That is our goal as humans, after all, to use our life and liberty to achieve true happiness. Take this idea as a life lesson: take a journey to find whatever makes you happy and run with it. Find your version of happiness.

Additionally, the novel conveys the fact that money does not, and cannot buy happiness. The novel itself is all about money, but the novel also displays that money does not make the main characters happy in the slightest. For example, one of the characters, Daisy is married to another character, Tom mainly because of his money, surely not for love.

Unfortunately, she was living in an abusive relationship. Yes, she may have been rich but she wasn't happy with Tom. Also, another character, Gatsby had loads of money but in the end, all that made Gatsby happy was Daisy's love. Do not look towards money and material items for happiness because, in the end, all that matters is the people we love and care for most.

Finally, this story has taught me that no matter how hard you might try, you cannot erase the past. It is no secret that the past events that have occurred throughout our lives our lives today, and present occurrences will continue shaping our futures. In the book, Jay Gatsby's whole life was changed drastically once he met Daisy.

He fell in love with her and since that very moment, his entire life changed forever.He was hung up on Daisy even after five years past and she was already married. He hangs onto his romantic past with her and couldn't let it go. Remember, there is no erasing past memories, some for the better, some for the worst.