Similarities Between Aristotle And The Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby does represent a tragic hero, however, he represents Miller's tragic hero better than he does Aristotle's. Miller's version of a tragic hero is representative of the common man's ability to be affected by tragedy in the same way as classical kings. Miller argues that in order for there to be tragedy the common man must be able to understand. Aristotle's version is representative of the flaws in great people. This version of the tragic hero is not a common man but is a great being that has a flaw which causes them to lose what they value most; the audience cannot easily understand the character's situation and feels pity and fear for their situation. In addition the Aristotelian tragic hero is doomed from the start to fall from grace and cannot avoid their fate. The one thing that is consistent between both versions is the hero's fall from grace and his loss. …show more content…
Everything that Gatsby does is to attract Daisy's attention to him, he hosts parties, he buys expensive items to show off and he takes the blame for her hit and run. Nick says "No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart." this quote can be applied to Gatsby because even after Tom tries to crush his dream he still attempts to rescue Daisy from Tom. Gatsby refuses to back down from the challenge because he cannot separate his vision of the pure Daisy of the past from the corrupt covetous socialite that she has become. This is further explained with another quote from Nick, "… the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything." The common man can easily connect with Gatsby not because he is a wealthy socialite but because he is willing to never give up on his