Why is Gatsby Great?
Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby still stands as one of the most excellent books that portray the theme of the American dream. From the book, people are portrayed to be after power and pleasure and not individualism. Besides, America’s Social reality is depicted where the novel shows how the young generation lacks morals and how the domestic economy had gone up after the war. While wealth was easily acquired, the book display that it was employed as a tool to seek other desires. Jay Gatsby, the main character in the novel, is one of the best tragic heroes. The title of the book describes Gatsby as great, which is why the author uses his name in the title.
One of the reasons Gatsby is great is because of his passion and optimism. Although Gatsby’s love for Daisy may seem as desperate and delusional, he does not give up on pursuing her. This is portrayed by how dedicated and motivated he was towards convincing Daisy to marry him. Daisy was already married to Tom Buchanan and already had a child together. However, this does not deter Gatsby from pursuing her, something that got his friend Nick worried. While Nick believes that Gatsby should accept and move on and tells him it is impossible to replicate what happened in the past, Gatsby is adamant that it is still possible. He tells Nick, “Can’t repeat the past?” …. “Why, of course, you can!” (Fitzgerald 117). He is ready to risk all he got for Daisy.
Another reason that contributes to Gatsby’s greatness is his great persona. He is among the most affluent individuals in the West Egg. He has a big house which is loaded with expensive things. While he is said to have acquired his riches dishonestly, he is generous and kind. His generosity is portrayed when he invites his friends for a party that happens every weekend. Besides, his kindness is also described by how good he treats his guests. For instance, one of her female guests at the party confesses how Gatsby gave her an expensive replacement after she accidentally ripped her dress in one of his parties. The action shows he feels responsible for what happens in his party.
Lastly, how he achieves his dream and how everyone got to know him shows that he was special. He was from a low-income family, but this did not stop him from reinventing himself and pursuing his dreams. He ended up becoming one of the richest and famous individuals around. He possessed an expensive mansion that was full of costly assets. Although his motive for acquiring all this wealth was to make Daisy happy and win her back from her now-boyfriend Tom Buchanan, he shows dedication to achieving his dreams (Gholipour, Mojtaba & Sanahmad 51).
In conclusion, t Gatsby may ironically be considered as great based on his many shortcomings, such as the way he acquires possession. However, this does not disregard the fact that he is great, which is the main reason the author decides to lend his name and use it in the title of the book. His greatness is displayed through his personality, wealth, and dreams. He is kind, generous, rich, and loving, which are some of the characteristics that rank him above others in the novel.
Work Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Broadview Press, 2007.
Gholipour, A. Mojtaba, and B. Mina Sanahmadi. “A psychoanalytic attitude to The Great Gatsby.” International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) 1.1 (2013): 51-53.