The Most Determined Person In 'The Great Gatsby'

Today, I will be presenting a character as a candidate for an award. I’ve been studying this character ever since I first read this novel. The character I greatly admire everytime I read this book. I read this novel over and over, just to study this character. My character, Jay Gatsby appears in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s historical fiction novel, The Great Gatsby. I believe, Mr. Gatsby should win the award for “The Most Determined Person.” By determined I mean he is firmly committed to achieving a goal. Some critics will state he represents The American Dream, but he is much more than that. Set in New York during the 1920s, the novel is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, who is the new neighbor to Mr. Gatsby. Gatsby is introduced as a …show more content…
Soon after, Gatsby met Daisy and they became lovers, but Gatsby had no money and nothing to his name, while Daisy’s family were very wealthy with high social standings. After he returned from the war, Gatsby learned of Daisy’s marriage. So Gatsby worked his entire life to get Daisy back one day. He would do anything in order to marry Daisy. He spent the rest of his life trying to become a successful man. Gatsby found a job working for a wealthy man who showed him a life of luxury. When Gatsby’s boss died, Gatsby was determined to live a life of luxury in order to impress Daisy, so he began working to gain wealth. He kept working for years, and now that he was neighbors with Nick, he decided to meet Daisy again through Nick’s connection with her. He had done everything to get to where he is now, he built up his wealth, his reputation all in hopes of impressing Daisy. During the book, everyone tells Gatsby that he can’t recreate the past, but he never stopped working to achieve his goal. When the narrator, Nick learns about Gatsby’s love for Daisy he responds to …show more content…
Gatsby is the most determined character. While others view his motives differently, he never doubts that he can’t succeed. He never stops working until he achieves his goal. When he was too poor, he never gave up, when he found out Daisy was already married, he never gave up, when others around him told him it’s impossible, he never gave up. He is determined until the end. While he didn’t achieve his goal, he made a name for himself, and an impact on others. People will question his rise to wealth, since he may have made his fortune in illegal ways. However, that’s what made him so determined. He never stopped himself from doing the wrong thing, because he was always working towards his dream. Others would have stopped or given up because of what stood in their path, while Gatsby will let nothing stand in his way. His life is an example of what it means to be determined and never give up. He refuses to let anyone or anything prevent him from achieving his goal. Whether it's the law, his family, his friends, he will sacrifice everything to be with Daisy again. Yes, he does some questionable actions on his journey to achieving his dream, but that is what determination is. Gatsby is the hero of his story, and Nick admires him for that. Nick didn’t admire him for his riches or extravagance, he saw his determination and what Gatsby wanted all along. Gatsby’s life left a long-lasting legacy which greatly impacted Nick. Gatsby didn’t want wealth or fame, he just