“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (1). F. Scott Fitzgerald sets the scene in his novel “The Great Gatsby” of wealthy people attending outrageous parties, lavishly living, with mischief surrounding every scene. F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how American citizens feel restless when trying to achieve their goals and aspirations; while main character Jay Gatsby creates a perfect facade of how he has achieved the American dream, which convinces others to believe that he is great. Throughout the story, Fitzgerald accurately illustrates how wealthy people lived in the 1920’s. Fitzgerald addresses the higher status of the narrator, Nick Carraway, who speaks for everyone apart of the upper class at start of the novel. People talk about Gatsby as being great even though they claim to have never met him.
Jay Gatsby’s reputation implies that he is great; however, he’s only great on account of all of his fancy possessions. For instance during our modern day society, when a student with horrid grades applies for college – prestigious or not – and happens to have a family with an abundance of money, the odds are that they are more than likely to be accepted. Although their work ethic may not appear to be great, what really matters are the possessions that they happen to be granted with. The title of The Great Gatsby is ironic because of how Gatsby leads many of those who look up to him to believe that his greatness will shine light upon them, specifically Nick and Daisy; however, he eventually lets them down.Fitzgerald gives us a clear representation of who Gatsby used to be before he acquired the reputation of a blue blood. Before Gatsby, his name was James Gatz, “his parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people – his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.
The truth was Jay Gatsby sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” (98). Truly, Gatsby holds the characteristics of a coward and often occurs to be unrealistic, for he states, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (110). Fitzgerald illustrates Gatsby escaping his past life to achieve the American dream throughout the novel, which is to become successful, and simply live the dream every American citizen wishes to achieve some time within their short lifetime. His life’s an illusion, Fitzgerald concludes that Jay Gatsby plays the role of an average American citizen who desires to have the same thing everyone else works hard for. Although it may seem as though he has achieved what every American dreams of, he still is not satisfied. Gatsby craves Daisy and claims to be madly in love with her.
Toward the end of the novel, it becomes clear that Gatsby only wishes to have her for the fact that he is obsessed with the idea of her, fitting perfectly into his facade.In full conclusion of the novel, Fitzgerald releases Gatsby’s true character. While also revealing how every other American citizen copes with dreams and aspirations not being fully pursued; simply implying that the great Gatsby is quite similar to any other American citizen. Gatsby remains shallow by clearly only wishing to achieve the perfect lifestyle for himself – as any other American would according to F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Fitzgeralds focuses solely around how Gatsby merely completes his American Dream, and how the process was manipulative and superficial; moreover, the great Gatsby was indeed not great in terms of character, but in terms of possession.
