Book Review: The Great Gatsby
The allusions in “The Great Gatsby” refer to many different pieces of literature. Such as The Bible. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a Christ figure due to his playing of the Father and Son, his giving and leadership, and his symbolic death.
Jay Gatsby was his own role model. He acted as his own father when he recreated himself after meeting Dan Cody. Nick Carraway’s description was that Gatsby was, “A Son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything , means just that-and he must be about his fathers business,” (Fitzgerald 109). This quote demonstrates how Gatsby’s personal ambitions are of a higher powers will (Earle). The first time Nick sees Gatsby his movements were described as leisurely and that Gatsby had come out to determine what share of the local heavens were his. This thought of Nick’s makes it seem to the reader that he is entitled to his place in God’s eyes, and that he is entitled to his place in Heaven (Earle). Fitzgerald’s decision to obscure Gatsby’s birth also resembles the mystery of Jesus’s youth. Up until later in the novel, Gatsby’s youth is a mystery, he is secretive, Jesus’s youth is also very obscured in the Bible and is mainly focused on his adulthood (Christensen 154). Gatsby’s mystery and self-made path is similar to that of Jesus Christ’s life. Jay Gatsby’s interactions with others is much like Jesus Christ’s interactions with people in the Bible. Gatsby’s parties are an excellent example of just that, they resemble the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible because they both got many people talking about them. In the first party that Nick attends, he unknowingly talks about his host, Gatsby, with Gatsby in the garden. This passage mirrors the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Bible after the resurrection of Jesus (Earle). Another example of Gatsby being compared to Jesus is when it is considered that Gatsby acts like Christ when he feeds the the strangers at his parties. This act is much like when
Jay Gatsby was his own role model. He acted as his own father when he recreated himself after meeting Dan Cody. Nick Carraway’s description was that Gatsby was, “A Son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything , means just that-and he must be about his fathers business,” (Fitzgerald 109). This quote demonstrates how Gatsby’s personal ambitions are of a higher powers will (Earle). The first time Nick sees Gatsby his movements were described as leisurely and that Gatsby had come out to determine what share of the local heavens were his. This thought of Nick’s makes it seem to the reader that he is entitled to his place in God’s eyes, and that he is entitled to his place in Heaven (Earle). Fitzgerald’s decision to obscure Gatsby’s birth also resembles the mystery of Jesus’s youth. Up until later in the novel, Gatsby’s youth is a mystery, he is secretive, Jesus’s youth is also very obscured in the Bible and is mainly focused on his adulthood (Christensen 154). Gatsby’s mystery and self-made path is similar to that of Jesus Christ’s life. Jay Gatsby’s interactions with others is much like Jesus Christ’s interactions with people in the Bible. Gatsby’s parties are an excellent example of just that, they resemble the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible because they both got many people talking about them. In the first party that Nick attends, he unknowingly talks about his host, Gatsby, with Gatsby in the garden. This passage mirrors the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Bible after the resurrection of Jesus (Earle). Another example of Gatsby being compared to Jesus is when it is considered that Gatsby acts like Christ when he feeds the the strangers at his parties. This act is much like when