Becoming great is something that many strive for, but few attain. The pursuit of greatness is commonly misunderstood and sought after in a fallacious way. Though many do not realize, great individuals can be those that hide in the background and are not recognized; fame does not equal greatness. However, during the Roaring Twenties in the United States, fame did equal greatness for a majority of the people. Jay Gatsby’s character throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, portrays a man who would have been considered great during the era in which he lived; Gatsby showed the qualities of a romantic and foolish man. According to the title of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is great. But what does great mean? Was Gatsby truly great? According to Merriam-Webster
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His greatness was shown through his wealth and material possessions. Gatsby showed off his wealth through the extravagant parties that he put on. Because of these parties, Gatsby was perceived as great by the majority of the people who attended the parties. Nick Carraway deemed Gatsby great because of his house and the way that he carried himself: in a reassuring and understanding way. Nick was in awe of Gatsby’s house from the first time he saw it and was captivated by Gatsby’s persona. Daisy Buchanan viewed Gatsby as being great; she had the typical 1920’s view of greatness: she saw Gatsby as great because of his wealth. She became interested in him because of his value, even though she did not know him personally. Gatsby’s ability to reinvent himself makes him great. James Gatz, Gatsby’s original name, went from nothing and became a self-made millionaire. Gatsby’s “love” and dedication to Daisy make him great. Martha Bayles said, “What makes Gatsby great is his deep yearning for something just out of reach.” Gatsby had a dream and relentlessly pursued that dream. Though he did so in a imprudent way, he made his irrational dream come true (Bayles). For these reasons, Gatsby was …show more content…
A realist understands what is real, possible, and sensible, while a romantic sees reality as greater than what it actually is. In Gatsby’s case, everything that he did was because of his desire for Daisy. His desire was a romantic one because it was not realistic. Gatsby wanted to recommence the past with Daisy. He ignored the difficult problems that he encountered while doing so. Gatsby’s decision to dedicate his life to finding the girl he had once fallen in love with is romantic because of the insane measures he had to take to find
His greatness was shown through his wealth and material possessions. Gatsby showed off his wealth through the extravagant parties that he put on. Because of these parties, Gatsby was perceived as great by the majority of the people who attended the parties. Nick Carraway deemed Gatsby great because of his house and the way that he carried himself: in a reassuring and understanding way. Nick was in awe of Gatsby’s house from the first time he saw it and was captivated by Gatsby’s persona. Daisy Buchanan viewed Gatsby as being great; she had the typical 1920’s view of greatness: she saw Gatsby as great because of his wealth. She became interested in him because of his value, even though she did not know him personally. Gatsby’s ability to reinvent himself makes him great. James Gatz, Gatsby’s original name, went from nothing and became a self-made millionaire. Gatsby’s “love” and dedication to Daisy make him great. Martha Bayles said, “What makes Gatsby great is his deep yearning for something just out of reach.” Gatsby had a dream and relentlessly pursued that dream. Though he did so in a imprudent way, he made his irrational dream come true (Bayles). For these reasons, Gatsby was …show more content…
A realist understands what is real, possible, and sensible, while a romantic sees reality as greater than what it actually is. In Gatsby’s case, everything that he did was because of his desire for Daisy. His desire was a romantic one because it was not realistic. Gatsby wanted to recommence the past with Daisy. He ignored the difficult problems that he encountered while doing so. Gatsby’s decision to dedicate his life to finding the girl he had once fallen in love with is romantic because of the insane measures he had to take to find