Character Analysis Of Jay Gatsby In 'The Great That Never Was'

The Great That Never Was Have you ever thought about being someone else for one day or maybe a year? How about for life? When I was younger, I used to pretend that I was somebody famous and act like them. Sometimes I wished I had the same opportunity like them in life and hoped that one day I will be like that person. I felt that if I was rich or popular, it will help define me as a person in life. Growing up everybody wants to fit in with this “circle” but it is how you fit in it is the mind-boggling part of the social aspect of life. Certain characters in The Great Gatsby shared the same thinking of the way of life when I was younger. Jay Gatsby, formally known as James Gatz, is a prime example. From the moment the reader is introduced to
When Gatsby picked Nick up from his house, the first question he asked was, “What’s your opinion of me, anyhow?” (Fitzgerald 65). This shows that Gatsby lets people’s opinions dictate his actions in life. So I feel the reason Gatsby has all these parties, is to please people’s opinions and to hide his “true” identity. Towards the end of chapters three and the beginning of four, Gatsby starts to act like himself for awhile but his lust for “real” love with Daisy changed the way he acted and he wanted to impress the love of his
Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to reveal his thoughts on the reality of living a lie, a way of life that affects modern Americans. Based on what we are told about Gatsby and what Gatsby does, Gatsby life was a big lie just to be “somebody” and to mean something to the world. He lies about how he inherited his money. (Fitzgerald 65; 133) He lies about being from “San Francisco” in the Midwest. (Fitzgerald 65) He lies about reading the books. (Fitzgerald 45) When the truth is revealed, Gatsby went from a “somebody” to a “nobody” in a matter of seconds. With how America is evolving each day through technology, Americans are guilty of being “real” and “fake”. Everyone has had a moment when they acted differently either to impress someone to “fit in” or to make themselves noticeable because they feel if they act how they usually do, nobody would notice them. But does acting like that make the person “real” or “fake”? That answer is determined by the person’s definition of “real” and “fake”. When I was younger I felt like if I acted like somebody that I am not, people will treat me differently and I finally “fit in” with the social aspect of life. With Gatsby, he felt that it was okay to dream about being rich and if he had all those things that he did not need, it would impress Daisy and she would love him.. Both of these situations teaches people a lesson about just being themselves and do not let materials label them in society because it is not what people have that