The Importance Of Characters In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby was written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and focuses on the lifestyle of American civilization during this time period known as the “Roaring Twenties”. The characters in The Great Gatsby all have specific roles which are shown to the reader as they progress through the novel. Although the characters have roles which are apparent to the reader, roles are also present that can be interpreted differently. The perspective that the readers takes when analyzing the text can change the meaning of the characters. Due to the fact that the novel is narrated from the perspective of Nick Carraway, the reader is only exposed to his viewpoint and his opinion. Although this is true, many underlying meanings are still present for each of …show more content…
He is around thirty years old, and lives in West Egg along with the narrator Nick Carraway. His focus is mainly on Daisy Buchanan, a girl who he loved from the past. He is a man that is stuck in the past and bent on repeating it in order to win Daisy. When Nick stated “You can’t repeat the past”, he incredulously replied “Why of course you can” (Fitzgerald 116). This shows his commitment to the past and also to winning Daisy back. Though it is apparent to the reader that he loves Daisy, if his character is analyzed at a deeper level another aspect of him is displayed. Jay Gatsby is a creation of James Gatz, and is based on his aspirations to be wealthy. From the beginning Gatsby wanted to be a wealthy man, even though his parents were poor, that did not stop his dreams and “his imagination had never really accepted them at all” (Fitzgerald 104). This shows his utter determination to be wealthy, and his borderline narcissistic obsession with himself and specifically how others view him. He seeks to reinvent himself not only for his own betterment, but also to become a person that people around him enjoy. “Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself”, this statements shows that James Gatz invented the persona of Jay Gatsby in order to sate his need to be accepted by those around him. This can be related back to his lust for Daisy Buchanan. She was the girl that he …show more content…
With this being stated, each character has a meaning that can be interpreted differently. The reader can use what they know about this time period coupled with what F. Scott Fitzgerald states about each character to form a completely new meaning from the one that is presented to the reader. Another key point is that all the characters are linked on a fundamental basis: the love of money. All three individuals have a basic love, understanding, and need for money, overshadowing their own individual characteristics in some