Greatness Is Measured In The Great Gatsby

In modern society, greatness is measured in many different ways. Some people may say that greatness is measured by success, or wealth, while others may say that greatness is measured in happiness, and good character. In “The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is driven by his pursuit of Daisy. He is willing to do anything – even turn to crime – to make these dreams reality. While he may have appeared great to most, he had to do many dishonorable things. The end can never justify the means, and as a result, Gatsby should not be considered great.
Through the novel, Gatsby tries to escape his background by changing his name from Jay Gatz to James Gatsby. He lies about his Oxford education and how he has come about such wealth. Gatsby constructs tails to make himself seem interesting and personable, even though in reality, his entire persona is based on lies. …show more content…
Using the money he could make through the mob, he could effectively pursue Daisy and gain her love. In the process of working for the mob, he trafficked alcohol. “’I found out what your “drug stores” were…he and this Woldsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores her and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong.’”(pg. 127)
In many instances, Gatsby manipulates people in order to get close to Daisy. For instance, the only reason he invited Nick to his party and became friends with him was to get closer to Daisy. At another occasion, Gatsby tells Jordan to ask Nick to invite him over for dinner with Daisy. “He wants to know – … if you’ll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over.”(83) He uses Nick and Jordan as pawns to get to Daisy. While he does develop something of a friendship with Nick, Nick never realizes that the beginning of that friendship was