What Makes The Great Gatsby Great

Words: 612
Pages: 3
Open Document
What makes a character great? Is it his morals, character, achievements, or something else entirely? Is it more important what makes a character great or who makes a character great? The Great Gatsby propounds all of these questions and more, but it all boils down to one uncertainty: is Gatsby truly great? Nick Carraway wonders this and many other things about the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, whom he meets after moving to Long Island to work in bonds. Throughout Fitzgerald’s novel, Nick tries to ascertain who the real Gatsby is. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s greatest claim to greatness is his propensity for selflessness in his parties, his love for Daisy, and his willingness to ruin his life to save the one he loves. Gatsby sacrifices his money and time every weekend to throw an extravagant party for New York City, making him a great and selfless man. Jordan Baker insists that Gatsby does have an internal motivation to get the attention of Daisy through these parties. Despite this reason, he is still giving away his wealth to strangers. Charity is always noble. Gatsby is basically making a charitable donation to the people of New York. When …show more content…
Even though his almost obsessive feelings for her could be interpreted as overbearing, Daisy is ultimately flattered by his actions. Overall, Gatsby’s actions are perceived by those around him as noble which, in turn, makes him noble. Gatsby is a very wealthy and ornate man but all of his worldly accomplishments pale in comparison to how much he values his one true love. Nick is touched by his feelings in this quote, cementing the notion that those around Gatsby see his love as noble. Jordan Baker also expresses her admiration of Gatsby’s fairytale when she first hears of it. All that matters in life and literature is how a person is perceived by those around him. Nick perceives Gatsby and his love for Daisy as
Show More

Related Documents: What Makes The Great Gatsby Great

Essay on What Makes Great Gatsby a Classic

and timeless themes. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 and set during 1922 displays all these characteristics through the involvement and ultimate corruption of the American Dream and the love story between Daisy and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is set in post WWI America and at the time, the American dream was for any hardworking person to be able to achieve success and happiness regardless of their background or social class. This was a time of great change and revolution with…

Words 898 - Pages 4

The Great Gatsby Death Analysis

comes from. Jay Gatsby, a farm boy from North Dakota was able to accomplish his goals, he became one of the richest men in New York. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”, the author uses the character Gatsby to symbolize the American Dream, this suggest that the American Dream has died after the events of this book. Jay Gatsby has become one of the richest men in New York by himself, he did some things that are seen as unethical. Nick is an individual that Jay Gatsby has befriended…

Words 1833 - Pages 8

‘the Great Gatsby Depicts a Society Which Exists in a State of Confusion and Moral Chaos.’ Discuss. Essay

SAC: Critical written response to The Great Gatsby 2. ‘The Great Gatsby depicts a society which exists in a state of confusion and moral chaos.’ Discuss. The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald set during the 1920s about a man named Jay Gatsby through Nick Carraway’s eyes, and is considered one of the great pieces of American literature of all-time. The Great Gatsby shows a society that is in an immoral and crazed state. Jay Gatsby himself shows the corrupt American society…

Words 1028 - Pages 5

How Does Daisy Keep Money In The Great Gatsby

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Daisy makes the decision to stay with Tom, instead of running off with the "love of her life" Gatsby.The entire book was centered around Gatsby's dream to be with Daisy, And Gatsby did everything in his power to win her back and make her completely erase Tom out of the picture. Gatsby and Daisy's relationship were a charade and it had a dull ending. What used to be a relationship that people dreamed of having, ended up as a situation a person would never want to be…

Words 1446 - Pages 6

How Does Daisy Buchanan Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

“Gatsby, one moment of magical encounter, would blot out those five years of unwavering devotion,” (Fitzgerald 109). Magicians are known for the tricks that they play on the eyes. What often seems like magic, turns out to be just a careful flick of the wrist. In the book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the idea of magic is compared to several characters in the novel. The magician motif is used among other implements to prove that appearance is not always reality. Jay Gatsby is described…

Words 1467 - Pages 6

Why Is The Great Gatsby Great

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is great because of the way he is perceived by the people for living out the the American Dream. Gatsby's mansion, lavish parties and wealth give him a reputation of being great because he is living what people dream of. Gatsby is also great because he is a genuine romantic and will do anything to obtain his lifelong love Daisy, who is occupied by another man, Tom. Gatsby believes that Daisy doesn't truly love Tom and that Daisy truly loves him…

Words 1449 - Pages 6

The Great Gatsby Book Report Essay

Louis Chen The Great Gatsby Book Report The book, The Great Gatsby, was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. He received his name form the man who wrote the "The Star-Spangled Banner". Like Nick, the main character of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald had a strong romantic desire. It is as if the events of F. Scott Fitzgerald's life were put into this book. While Fitzgerald lived near Montgomery, Alabama, he met one of the many loves of his life…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

HenryGarcia RoughDraft Edit Essay

appearance and reality through the eyes of a great author. He saw that all authors live in reality, while everyone else lives in a sense of what is appeared, or not knowing the whole truth. He shows us that the author must question everything, breaking down the appearances that are set up by people and by our society. Fitzgerald shows that normal people don't question everything, and therefore are fooled by appearances many times. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald suggests many things about appearance…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

Is The Great Gatsby Really Great

In life we aim to be great to always be caring and loving towards others and to have a legacy everyone will remember, but it's not easy to be all good. Not everyone is truly great everyone has flaws. To be great we must have Integrity and a special set of morals that we won't ever turn against, they always do the right thing. We must think of others before ourselves and do everything we possibly can to be good. Gatsby has fabricated an entire life built up with lies, the people around him are no…

Words 1638 - Pages 7

Should The Great Gatsby Be Taught In School

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby depicts the American life during the Roaring Twenties. Wealth and materialism played a big role during that time period and in the story of The Great Gatsby. The lifestyles of the characters in the novel differ from each other; it depended on how wealthy they were and what status they are. The novel touches upon social issues and the effects of being from a certain social class. The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald should be taught…

Words 518 - Pages 3