Great Gatsby Anti Hero Analysis

An anti-hero is the “principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Anti-heroes are flawed heroes who fail to succeed at their ultimate goal. Perfect examples of an anti-hero are Jay Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby and J. Alfred Prufrock, present in the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a man who grew up in poverty and attempts to remake the past by altering his identity into that of a rich man in order to win back the love of Daisy Buchanan. On the other hand, in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot, the main character, J. Alfred Prufrock, fails to gather enough courage to propose to a woman he truly loves because of his indecisiveness and …show more content…
An anti-hero’s lack in agency impede them from achieving their goals. “He is someone who disturbs the reader with his weakness yet is sympathetically portrayed, and [also] magnifies the frailties of humanity” (Admin). Anti-hero are relatable character whose lack in agency obstruct them from achieving their goal and Jay Gatsby and J. Alfred Prufrock are perfect examples.
Jay Gatsby is the perfect example of a anti-hero. To begin, James Gatz was a man born into poverty who greatly despised being poor. He was young, honorable military officer when he first met Daisy Buchanan. He immediately fell in love with her charm, beauty, and luxury, and lied about his destitute background in order to assure her that he was good enough. However, James Gatz had to leave to fight in World War I. Daisy promised to wait for him, but she ended up marrying Tom Buchanan, an excessively wealthy man. When James Gatz returned from war, he dedicated his life into becoming rich in order to win back the love of Daisy. He achieved his