How Is Jay Portrayed In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, bases characters from Fitzgeralds personal life to interweaving intricate love relations that all follow his actions of the six most pivotal stages. Throughout the novel, Gatsby shows Fitzgeralds active attributes. They both “love and lost”, meaning that Fitzgerald and Jay would do anything for their beloved. Some critics may argue that the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, is a common fictional character from The Great Gatsby, however, there are many examples from the novel that prove Fitzgerald mirrors his personal life through his portrayal of Gatsby.
In the novel, parallels are drawn between Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby, making himself a reflection through a fictional character. As an impoverished young boy, James Gatz, known as Jay Gatsby, lived in North Dakota. Jay Gatsby never accepted his parents, due to the way they were living, “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people…” (Fitzgerald 98). This made Gatsby want the fame and luxury. Buddha once said, “An idea that is developed and put into action is more …show more content…
Nick enables Gatsby's affair with Daisy, advises Gatsby that he "can't repeat the past" (Fitzgerald 110). Fitzgerald made a protagonist that is not able to function in the present and only in the past. He is caught up in thoughts of his previous memories with Daisy and therefore will do everything and anything he can to relive the past. Nick has a very important role in Gatsby’s life. At the end of the novel, Nick says that we are all "borne back ceaselessly into the past"(Fitzgerald 180). This quote is in comparison with what Nick told Gatsby earlier. It mirrors Gatsby's prior attitude which could be argued that Gatsby in return acts as a mentor for Nick. In the end, Nick is the only one that understood him. Nick realized that Gatsby did not care about the luxury or the fame, all he cared about was love. (DOES FITZGERALD WANT TO LIVE IN THE