The Great Gatsby, why make highschoolers read this?

By happyWindow90

I’m a 35M and I ended up re-reading this because this kid I used to know in high school had to read it. I read it back then too. I remember feeling like there’s a lot of history in here that a younger reader probably wouldn’t catch unless they’re really locked in on that time period. I also get the vibe that it kind of romanticizes stuff like cheating, drinking hard, and lying. It honestly pulled me back to when I was drinking a lot, so yeah—glad I’m sober now. That said, the writing has some pretty language and the overall mood is kind of enjoyable. I did like it, but it still feels like there are way better books to make kids read in high school.