Greatness In The Great Gatsby

Characteristics of Greatness The precious gift of life for anyone comes to an end eventually. It is the time between birth and death that measures the greatness perceived in one. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the actions needed to classify a person’s life as great, through Gatsby’s natural personality rather than his wealth. Gatsby is a mysterious character throughout the book, and the narrator concludes this observation by stating “I talked with him perhaps six times in the past month and found, to my disappointment, that he had little to say. So my first impression, that he was a person of some undefined consequence, had gradually faded and he had become simply the proprietor of an elaborate road-house next door” (Fitzgerald 64). however, Gatsby’s life and all of his decisions are revealed at some point. One of the first characteristics that you learn from Gatsby’s past is his intuition. This is revealed when Gatsby runs away from home at a young age. Although some may say that could seem more ignorant than anything, it was obvious that it was the better choice. Anyone who is perceived as great needs ambition to some extent. The desire to achieve something more with your life

Between loss, rejection, and isolation Gatsby gives an unreflected image of his life to society. It is how Gatsby deals with the issues he is presented with that make him qualify above the standards of an ordinary person. “He smiled understandingly- much more understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may only come across four or five times in a life” (Fitzgerald 48). With all the problems Gatsby faced he seemed, as described by Nick, to smile his rare smile and deal with his problems privately. This exhibits Gatsby’s self-reliance which is another characteristic that appeals to the aspect of being