Jay Gatsby Tragic Hero Essay

Throughout the book The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is described through the eyes of Nick Carraway as being the “hero” of the book. This portrayal of Gatsby as the hero is commonly disagreed on by many. Some believe Gatsby is a hero, others do not. Deciding whether Gatsby is a hero or not largely depends on the angle that a reader takes. Gatsby’s loyalty and hopefulness makes him the great tragic hero in the novel. The major reason for Gatsby being a tragic hero is his love for Daisy. For the entire time that Nick knows Gatsby, Gatsby is always trying to get closer to Daisy. The reader can see this when Gatsby asks Nick to set him and Daisy up together for tea, on multiple occasions. Gatsby even reveals to the reader that he, “bought [the] house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald …show more content…
According to an article on ohio.edu, “the tragic hero should have a flaw and/or make some mistake [and] he/she must undergo a change in fortune.” Looking at the story, Gatsby starts out as a mysterious man but as the reader gets to know him they begin to see him as a wealthy man. Gatsby begins to show the reader his love for Daisy and how long he had waited for her to finally love him. Although somewhat creepy and stalker-like Gatsby tells Nick that he will wait “all night, if necessary” outside of Daisy’s house to make sure that she is safe (Fitzgerald 144). This once again, shows Gatsby’s loyalty to Daisy. Even though Daisy is married, Gatsby is loyal to her and hopeful that she will love him back. Referring back to the article mentioned above, Gatsby’s flaw that makes him a tragic hero is his loyalty to Daisy and his hopefulness that she will love him back. Because Gatsby is so loyal to Daisy and hopeful that she will love him is what brings him to his death. Gatsby’s loyalty and hopefulness show that he is the hero in this

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