Category: Jay Gatsby

Egg’s most well-known young millionaire, Jay Gatsby was shot and found dead in his private pool on October 3rd. Police confirmed his death as an apparent murder-suicide caused by George Wilson, a garage owner from New York, who had the purpose of avenging his wife’s death. Myrtle Wilson reportedly ran in front of the car as if she recognized it, but the car fatally hit her. Police later identified the automobile as being the property of Mr. Gatsby. As a result of Wilson’s murder, the driver who caused this tragic event will remain unknown, as there were no eyewitnesses that we’re able to recognize who was driving the car the night of the accident.

After Mr. Gatsby’s death, rumors erupted regarding his past and love life. The West Egg Times went on a treasure hunt to unravel more about the mysterious young millionaire’s true identity, origins, and past.

Mr. Gatsby’s funeral was held on October 6th at 3:00 p.m. in his mansion. Surprisingly, very few people attended Mr. Gatsby’s funeral. The West Egg Times sent a reporter to the funeral who stated that a total of eight people attended the event including servants, a few friends, and shockingly Mr. Gatsby’s father, Henry Gatz. Reporter Eric Woodbury investigated and sat down with Mr. Gatz, and asked him about his son’s origins and background.

“His name was Jimmy Gatz,” said Mr. Gatz. He then proceeded to tell the story of his son’s childhood. Mr. Gatsby was born in 1882 into a family of poor farmers up in North Dakota, rather than into wealth in San Francisco, as he claimed.

Ever since a young age, Mr. Gatsby despised poverty and ached for a life with more wealth and sophistication. “When he was only sixteen, he started the long path to improving himself. He said that creating a detailed schedule of his day and writing general resolves would lead him to a successful life. Jimmy was bound to get ahead.” Mr. Gatz mentioned.

Driven by his ambitious aspirations, Mr. Gatsby ran away from home at the age of seventeen and began attending St Olaf’s College in Minnesota, but dropped out after only two weeks, as he could not bear working as a janitor in order to pay for his tuition.

Next summer, he worked in Lake Superior fishing and digging for clams. While he was out fishing one day, he rowed in the direction of a yacht that was heading in the direction of an impending storm. The owner of the boat was a fifty-year-old self-made millionaire named Dan Cody. Mr. Cody then decided to take Mr. Gatsby in and make him his personal assistant and teach him how to speak and act in a proper manner.

During their following voyages, Mr. Gatsby’s dreams of achieving success and wealth were only aggravated by the development of his relationship with Dan Cody, becoming more passionately covetous of wealth, privilege, and sophistication.

After Dan Cody’s death a few years later, Mr. Gatsby joined the army, during the Great War. In 1917, he was assigned to Camp Taylor, in Louisville, before fighting in the war. Gatsby met Daisy Fay, an extremely popular young woman amongst the military officers. In order to convince her that he was worthy of her, he lied about his background to Ms. Fay, claiming to be from a wealthy family. “When I first met Jay, I had no idea of who he truly was. I have never met anyone with such good manners and was such a gentleman… I guess that’s why I fell in love with him.” said Ms. Fay when interviewed. “After one month of being together, Jay was required to serve overseas. He was always such a hopeful person that I promised to wait for him when he came back”. But in 1919, Ms. Fay broke her promise, marrying Tom Buchanan, a young man from a family of old rich, while Mr. Gatsby was studying at Oxford in an attempt to gain an education after returning from the war.

Determined to get her back, he became obsessed with the need to become rich. He convinced himself that if he became rich enough to provide for her and to be part of her social status, he would win her love back. That was his vision: his happiness would be achieved through wealth. The problem with this was that how he made his money was not important; means did not matter, the point was to make it. He began to work in the oil industry, and later with Meyer Wolfsheim, a gangster that is rumored to have fixed the 1919 World Series. While working with him, he got into bootlegging and other criminal enterprises to make enough money to convince Ms. Fay that he was enough for her.

“Gatsby was the single most hopeful person I have ever met, and will likely ever meet”, says Nick Carraway, one of Mr. Gatsby’s closest friends and Ms. Fay’s cousin. “He was a lovesick and naïve young man in love. All actions and decisions made from the day that he met my cousin had forward had the sole purpose of proving his worth and love to Daisy. He committed himself to become rich. He bought a mansion across the bay from her house just to prove his worth to her. He loved her deeply and put her on a pedestal. He treated Daisy like she was she was the only person in the world who mattered. The fact that he brought himself from zero to hero was rather extraordinary. He grew up as a poor farm boy and turned himself into Jay Gatsby, with his huge mansion and having parties that went on all night. He was self-created. He invented Jay Gatsby. That is why I think that his true story should be known” Mr. Carraway says.

Jay Gatsby is a young man who rose from an underclass status to becoming fabulously wealthy. It appears as if there is nothing more Gatsby could want out of life and he is living out the true American Dream. However, when looking deeper into his life the reader learns that there is more to Gatsby than what meets the eye. Throughout the novel, Jay Gatsby makes himself an outcast through his personality and taste even though he hopes to be accepted by the upper-class society whose actions reflect a society of greed and immorality.

In the beginning, Gatsby throws his first of many parties, showing off his great wealth and revealing confidence in his lifestyle, when really, he is not what he seems. Jay Gatsby hosts weekly parties mostly for the rich and fashionable. Many of the guests attend these extravagant gatherings when they please, but some come with a personal invitation from Gatsby himself. One of these few select individuals is Gatsby’s soon-to-be close friend, Nick Carraway. Nobody knows who Gatsby truly is beside the fact that he is a very rich man who lives in the West Egg. This brings up frequent gossip, curiosity, or rumors about his true identity. Gatsby appears to be this gracious host, yet he remains apart from his guests. It’s almost as if he is an observer rather than a participant as if he is seeking something. Nick notices while everybody is partying, “Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes.”

Looking at the surface, Gatsby presents himself as a wealthy and successful individual who portrays all aspects of the success of the American dream. Gatsby poses as one of the most famous celebrity figures in New York and throws these extravagant parties to show off this status and generosity. It appears that Gatsby has almost nothing to lose and he is living on top of the world. It wasn’t until Nick takes a glance at Gatsby and sees a different side of him than what he has commonly shown. With the help of Nick, parts of Gatsby’s true personality comes into play. As Nick becomes more curious as to why Gatsby is so isolated, he “wondered if the fact that he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased.” (Fitzgerald, Ch. 3). When looking beyond the surface, Nick finds several instances, including this one, that shows how Gatsby sets himself off from everyone at his party by almost separating himself from his own festivities. It brings more mystery to who Gatsby truly is and what he is looking for out of life. Though Jay Gatsby lives this lavish and successful life, there is something within Gatsby that shows he is not fully satisfied with his life and is longing for something. When looking from the surface the reader is able to further see beyond the confidence and lavishness that is Jay Gatsby. However, as the reader takes a closer look in-depth at Gatsby’s life, they can see that Gatsby is in need of something in his life or is not fully satisfied, as seen in his scene at his party. Gatsby, like the rest of society in his time, always wanted to live their best version of the American Dream. These people often reflect greed or immortality regardless of how much they have. They want the best life they can possibly get and they will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Later on in the novel, as Gatsby begins to strengthen his relationship with Daisy, he brings her and Nick to his home to show off some of his incredible wealth, but not for the prideful reasons one would expect. Aside from his parties, Gatsby’s choice of color in his objects of wealth is very distinct and different from other tastes in style. While Tom, Jordan, and Nick rode together to meet Daisy and Gatsby in town, Tom began to question the integrity of Gatsby. In observance of Daisy and Gatsby’s feelings for each other, Tom is suspicious of who Gatsby really says he is. Gatsby claims he is an “Oxford man” however Tom notes something peculiar about his dress that may prove otherwise. As Jordan reminds Tom Gatsby is an Oxford Man, Tom replies, “An Oxford man!” He was incredulous. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.” (Fitzgerald, Ch. 7). Tom does not believe that Gatsby ever attended an old and prestigious university such as Oxford because his Pink Suit reflects that Gatsby does not belong to the upper class. Gatsby’s suit makes a statement to Tom that he flaunts his wealth which is ‘new’ money. He does not dress in the tasteful, flamboyant, or rich style adopted by those who had the money to attend a university such as Oxford. Looking at the surface, Gatsby’s color pink is unique in style for a rich man but is a bizarre representation of his excessive wealth which sets him apart in a society of well cultured and defined men. This indeed makes Gatsby the outcast out of this group in society expressing his own use and ideas of his wealth, leading to his next representation of this. In addition to his Pink Suit, Gatsby has another peculiar possession of his that questions his luxurious lifestyle. Just like the suit, Gatsby’s Yellow Rolls-Royce strongly links to him as a character. The yellow car first appears when Gatsby comes to pick up Nick from his house for their afternoon drive and last appears in the hit and run of Myrtle. Nick describes it as, “a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hat-boxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns.” (Fitzgerald, Ch. 4). Gatsby’s yellow car adds to his reflection of extreme wealth, calling attention to itself in a way that further reflects the “new money” representing Gatsby’s personality and his fashion style. It is clear that Gatsby’s highlighted details of his car are over the top and meant to impress others. It adds to the outsider that is Gatsby due to its overwhelming glamour. Looking beyond the surface, Gatsby uses his yellow car to assert his status and wealth in on others and to feel accepted by society. Gatsby, like many other wealthy individuals, uses their most prized possessions to further show off their richness. They are all constantly in need to be accepted by society and compete to live out the best version of the American Dream. Sometimes this includes being the outcast amongst others.

In short, Gatsby makes himself an outcast through his personality and taste in hopes to be accepted by the upper-class society whose actions reflect a society of greed and immorality. Everything that Gatsby owns from his mansion shown in his parties, his pink suit, and to his Yellow Rolls Royce presents himself as an outcast secretly trying to be accepted by the upper-class society.

Jay Gatsby, the main character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’, is presented to readers as a mysterious millionaire, rich and successful, who made himself, formed his character, and in sum realized everything he aspired to. On the one hand, such a person should be admired, but something prevents me from this. Probably the reason is that I actually feel very sorry for him. Gatsby is a prime example of a man whose spirit is constantly tormented by a sense of being unsatisfied, leaving him yearning for more. His desire to be a prosperous and successful person, to be different from what his background prepared for him, was so strong that he was willing to leave many things behind, including his name.

In fact, Jay Gatsby is not his real name, but James Gatz. He does not come from money but from a farming family in North Dakota. At the age of seventeen, he met a wealthy man who became his mentor, Dan Cody. Observing the life of the rich and powerful, James realized that he wanted a better future. In his novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald classifies Gatsby’s parents as ambitionless, unsuccessful farmers to distinguish them from Gatsby’s ideal parents, who would be wealthy. Gatsby was never satisfied with being James Gatz. He was so dissatisfied with having embarrassing parents, in fact, that he disassociated himself from them and never thought of them as his actual parents. He understood that with his background and his name, unsuited to him and the way of life that he sought, he would not achieve success and would not become a prosperous person. He believed that his name should sound more aristocratic, it should fully reflect his new character and lifestyle. So, as he saw Dan Cody anchor his yacht on the most ‘insidious flat’ on Lake Superior, he changed his name to Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s ominous diction of ‘insidious flat’ foreshadows that Gatsby’s choice to change his identity will be a bad one. On the surface, Fitzgerald is describing the flat as insidious but is unknowingly associating insidious with Gatsby’s choice to change his identity. As described by ‘insidious’, his choice seems subtle and gradual, but in reality is deceitfully harmful.

Gatsby’s story is not really about true happiness, but more about a chronic and painful feeling of dissatisfaction. Gatsby was driven by the desire for wealth, prosperity, and honor from an early age, despite the fact that this did not correlate very well with his upbringing. He wanted so badly to be someone else that he was ready for anything, including renouncing his name.

Introduction

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” has sparked debates and discussions about the character of Jay Gatsby and whether he truly deserves the title of “great.” This essay aims to present a persuasive argument that Gatsby is indeed a great character, highlighting his ambition, resilience, and unwavering pursuit of the American Dream.

Extraordinary Ambition

One of the defining characteristics of greatness is extraordinary ambition. Gatsby embodies this quality through his relentless pursuit of wealth and social status. From his humble beginnings, Gatsby aspires to create a life of opulence and prosperity, driven by his desire to win back the heart of his beloved Daisy. His unwavering determination to transcend his circumstances and achieve the American Dream showcases his greatness of spirit.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Gatsby’s journey is marked by numerous setbacks and obstacles, yet he never loses hope. Despite coming from a disadvantaged background, he reinvents himself, amassing wealth and creating an extravagant persona. His resilience in the face of adversity demonstrates his strength of character and determination to overcome any obstacle that stands in his path. Gatsby’s ability to bounce back from failures and setbacks is a testament to his greatness.

Unwavering Pursuit of the American Dream

Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of the American Dream sets him apart as a great character. He embodies the ideal of the self-made man, someone who believes that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. Gatsby’s aspiration to rise above his circumstances and create a life of abundance reflects the quintessential American spirit. Despite the moral ambiguity surrounding some of his actions, his unwavering pursuit of his dreams highlights his greatness of purpose.

Symbolism of Gatsby’s Character

Beyond Gatsby’s personal qualities, his character also serves as a symbol of the human capacity for hope, idealism, and the pursuit of dreams. He represents the possibilities and aspirations that lie within each individual, urging us to believe in our own potential for greatness. Gatsby’s character resonates with readers because he embodies the universal longing for a better future, making him a timeless and iconic figure.

Impact on Others

Gatsby’s greatness extends beyond his personal ambitions. He has a profound impact on those around him, inspiring admiration, fascination, and even jealousy. Despite the flaws in his pursuit of Daisy, Gatsby’s love for her is genuine and selfless. He is willing to sacrifice everything for her happiness, displaying an extraordinary capacity for love and devotion. Gatsby’s ability to evoke such strong emotions in others reflects the power and influence he holds, further solidifying his status as a great character.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jay Gatsby can be rightfully deemed a great character in literature. His extraordinary ambition, resilience, unwavering pursuit of the American Dream, symbolism, and impact on others all contribute to his greatness. Gatsby’s determination to transcend his circumstances, his resilience in the face of adversity, and his ability to inspire those around him make him a character worthy of admiration.

While Gatsby may have his flaws and his actions may be morally ambiguous, his inherent greatness lies in his ability to dream, to believe in the possibility of a better future, and to strive relentlessly towards his goals. Through his character, readers are reminded of the power of hope, resilience, and the human capacity for greatness.

“The Great Gatsby” stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the American Dream and the complexities of human ambition. Gatsby’s story serves as a reminder that greatness can be found not only in achieving one’s dreams but also in the unwavering pursuit of them. Jay Gatsby, with his larger-than-life aspirations and indomitable spirit, leaves an indelible mark on literature and continues to captivate readers with his greatness.

Love makes you do crazy things, even flip your life around. Jay Gatsby is one of the more well-known characters in this story. In the book “The Great Gatsby”, Jay Gatsby focuses on trying to manipulate the entirety of his life. He shows a lot of different characters throughout the book but they all point back to how he feels about Daisy.¨The Great Gatsby¨ came out in 1925, and every male individual represents part of the author. By Jay Gatsby doing this it will help apply three parts of psychoanalysis, The id, the ego, and the superego. Applying Psychoanalysis to Jay Gatsby reveals he’s living a singular dream, he is very independent when it comes to Daisy, His ego is the balance to his life, and he suffers from anxiety.

In the book “ The great gatsby” Jay Gatsby is proven or said to be living a single dream by Nick Carraway. While Gatsby was busy living in the past, Daisy was engaged in the ultimate form of future-building: having a child. Nick said that Gatsby “Paid a high price for living too long with a single dream”(Fitzgerald 161). What this is trying to say is that Gatsby’s one dream was attaining Daisy. Everything he’d done during his adult life focused on the dream of one day being the man who could offer Dasiy everything, a dream that would end with the two of them living happily ever after. In the end, Gatsby paid for that dream with his life, a huge price for a dream that could never come true. Jay Gatsby’s superego is at work. He wanted to live up to what he thought were social norms. He felt that if he was wealthy and had the girl of his dreams he was set for life. Jay´s superego is clouding his judgment. The superego is one of the main parts of psychoanalysis criticism. Superego is “our social programming, created by social values” (Burrows-Stone 5). This just goes deeper into Gasbty showing his superego. This shows what his social programming is like. He feels like he won’t amount to anything unless he has the girl of his dreams and money. Jay Gatsby is just trying to be better than his parents.

Jay Gatsby may be showing idealistic tendencies throughout ¨The Great Gatsby¨. Psychoanalysis criticism is based on the human psyche which is divided into three things, the ego, the id, and the superego. So the id is “believed to be the centering of instant gratification” (Burrows-Stone 5). The id plays an important role in the development of Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby has the desire to control everything in his life this is shown during several moments throughout the book. The moment when Gatsby was talking to Nick about Daisy. Nick says that Gatsby can’t repeat the past and Gatsby rebuttals with ¨“Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously, “Why of course you can”¨ ( Fitzgerald 110). This highlights Jay´s inability to accept the truth that Daisy has moved on and is married to Tom with a child. His id is very present during this and so are his idealistic tendencies. This can also show that he is an idealist, Which has almost the same meaning as the id. Koncnundudnind0sindisndunsud9nd 0dauxu

Jay Gatsby’s ego is very hard to come by. The ego is supposed to mediate between the id and the superego. Sometimes his ego doesn’t show up. During a moment in the book, Gatsby was at Daisy’s house with Tom and Nick. Nick noticed that “He had passed visibly through two states and was entering upon a third. After his embarrassment and his unreasoning joy he was consumed with wonder at her presence”( Fitzgerald 91). This quote is describing how the dream of meeting and impressing Daisy, which he has been planning for two years, is finally beginning to start. Their true emotions of Gatsby are starting to appear and how overwhelmed he is by the love he has for Daisy. But also during this time, his ego is nowhere to be found. The ego is supposed to ¨mediate between the Id and the Superego; channeling the desires of the Id into actions acceptable to the superego¨(Burrows-Stone 5). The balance between the superego and the id isn’t presented at this moment in the book. Gatsby lets his id take control during this time in the book.

In the book ¨ The great gatsby¨ Jay tends to suffer from anxiety when his superego stops him from fulfilling his id. When his superego takes over he begins to feel overwhelmed “I wanted somebody who wouldn’t gossip. Daisy comes over quite often – in the afternoons¨ (Fitzgerald 114). During this moment Gatsby had fired all of his servants. Plus, Daisy is now visiting him more and more, He doesn’t want any gossip to be spread. This is also the very moment where he thought that his relationship with Daisy was over which caused him anxiety. He couldn’t control the situation anymore as his superego took over. Within another moment a couple of pages before that he was having a conversation with Nick when he being to “look at me with suppressed eagerness” ( Fitzgerald 82). Gatsby was hoping to find out if Jordan Baker talked to Nick and as a result, Nick talked to Daisy. While this moment was happening Gatsby was very calm and cool-headed. He didn’t have any anxiety because he was in control of the situation. This goes to show that when Gatsby lets his superego take over. Also, he suffers from high levels of anxiety.

As expressed Jay Gatsby is falling off the rails throughout the book over a girl named Daisy. Jay and Daisy don’t end up together, but from what Psychoanalysis criticism has scraped up, Jay Gatsby is living a singular dream, he is an idealist, His ego is the balance to his life, and he suffers from anxiety. The way he shows it is to make sure the reader is thrown off, the way he does this is by making sure Gatsby shows more than one side of himself in each chapter. Jay doesn´t have control over his emotions anymore. When it comes to getting Daisy to love him he will do anything. This shows what he is willing to do to get what he wants in life. Also, what happens if he doesn´t get what he wants out of his time?

Works Cited

1. Burrows-Stone, Katherine. ‘Lit Theory Cheat Sheet.’ English 3, SLA Beeber, 112221. Class Handout.
2. Fitzgerald, F S. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.