Who Is The Tragic Hero In The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby SS Questions
1. A tragic hero contains a fatal flaw, and is responsible for their own downfall. Jay Gatsby reflects a tragic hero as in loving Daisy he causes his own downfall. Gatsby continually loves Daisy for five years. Gatsby and Daisy fell in love before he left for the war, and vowed to wait for each other. Circumstances arise and Jay is unable to return from the war as soon as he had hoped. During this time Daisy meets Tom Buchanan, and marries him; however, Gatsby does not give up on loving Daisy. Everything Jay does upon his return revolves around Daisy. He says that every decision he ever makes is with her in mind- everything is for her. Gatsby needs Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him, and he believes …show more content…
Fitzgerald once wanted to title the novel Under the Red, White, and Blue; however, The Great Gatsby better reflects Fitzgerald’s overall purpose- money does not buy happiness, or personal connections. The title Under the Red, White, and Blue holds connotations with capitalism, and success; however, would give the novel more of an impression focused around America itself. Whereas the title The Great Gatsby sets up the reader’s perception of Jay Gatsby and foreshadows his death- historically people are referred to as “The Great” after their death. Readers are able to see that although Jay is “Great”, all his money and fame are unable to buy him happiness, and the connection he longs for with Daisy. As Jay awaits a phone call from Daisy, saying that she is going to follow through with leaving Tom, Nick has “an idea that he [Gatsby] no longer cared. If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (Fitzgerald 161). Nick believes that Gatsby does come to the realization that despite all his wealth, he has nothing without Daisy, and that his money was unable to make her understand. Although many perceive Jay as “Great”, he feels he never had anything without Daisy. The title The Great Gatsby, achieves the authors overall purpose as it better indicates the outcomes of the
1. A tragic hero contains a fatal flaw, and is responsible for their own downfall. Jay Gatsby reflects a tragic hero as in loving Daisy he causes his own downfall. Gatsby continually loves Daisy for five years. Gatsby and Daisy fell in love before he left for the war, and vowed to wait for each other. Circumstances arise and Jay is unable to return from the war as soon as he had hoped. During this time Daisy meets Tom Buchanan, and marries him; however, Gatsby does not give up on loving Daisy. Everything Jay does upon his return revolves around Daisy. He says that every decision he ever makes is with her in mind- everything is for her. Gatsby needs Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him, and he believes …show more content…
Fitzgerald once wanted to title the novel Under the Red, White, and Blue; however, The Great Gatsby better reflects Fitzgerald’s overall purpose- money does not buy happiness, or personal connections. The title Under the Red, White, and Blue holds connotations with capitalism, and success; however, would give the novel more of an impression focused around America itself. Whereas the title The Great Gatsby sets up the reader’s perception of Jay Gatsby and foreshadows his death- historically people are referred to as “The Great” after their death. Readers are able to see that although Jay is “Great”, all his money and fame are unable to buy him happiness, and the connection he longs for with Daisy. As Jay awaits a phone call from Daisy, saying that she is going to follow through with leaving Tom, Nick has “an idea that he [Gatsby] no longer cared. If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (Fitzgerald 161). Nick believes that Gatsby does come to the realization that despite all his wealth, he has nothing without Daisy, and that his money was unable to make her understand. Although many perceive Jay as “Great”, he feels he never had anything without Daisy. The title The Great Gatsby, achieves the authors overall purpose as it better indicates the outcomes of the