Mystery In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby follows the exploits of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy businessman in upper class New York who host lavish parties in hopes of reuniting with Daisy Buchanan. As an item of gossip for the partygoers, Gatsby surrounds himself with incredible character which prove to be built on the rumors created by the people around him and his own falsified back story. As his dreams of a life with Daisy unravel, the truth of the “Great Gatsby” emerges in the events after his death.
From the beginning of the novel, Gatsby’s character is surrounded by mystery. Daisy’s in reaction to hearing Gatsby’s name in a conversation between Nick and Jordan Baker, “Gatsby? What Gatsby?”(15) foreshadows the mystery that surrounds Gatsby. When

Nick attends one of Gatsby’s parties, further stories of Gatsby surface, naming him a spy for Germany during the war or a cold-blooded murderer. At the same party, Jordan recalls Gatsby's claim to be an Oxford man, though she does not seem convinced to his claim. As a result of all the various rumors, Nick creates an image of Gatsby in his mind as “a florid and corpulent person in his middle years” (53). The rumors and stories influence the idea of Gatsby that Nick creates in his mind which differs from who Gatsby appears to be. The illusion of Gatsby is further obscured through Gatsby’s own fabricated backstory. Gatsby constructs his own elaborate back-story that blurs the truth of himself. When he and Nick are driving into the city to meet Meyer Wolfshiem, Gatsby swears to tell Nick “God’s truth” of Gatsby’s past (69). Gatsby claims to be the son of a wealthy family, all of whom have died, leaving him great sums of money. He adds that he was educated at Oxford as a family tradition and shows Nick a picture of himself playing cricket at Oxford to prove his claim. Gatsby also tells Nick a war story of how he came to receive a decoration from Montenegro “For Valour Extraordinary” (71). Although Nick doubts Gatsby’s claims, as they cross the Queensboro Bridge, he thinks to himself, “Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge… Even Gatsby could happen… ” (73). Nick’s fascination with Gatsby’s tale only encourages Gatsby’s illusion and further draws him away from reality. By the end of Gatsby’s tale, Nick is blinded by Gatsby’s luxurious lie.
Nevertheless, Gatsby’s grand illusion of himself begins to fall apart as he fails to achieve his dream of a life with Daisy.

Gatsby meets Daisy as a young soldier at Camp Taylor in Louisville. As Jordan retells, Gatsby “ looked at Daisy...in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at…” (79-80). Jordan’s account of their budding romance shows the beginning of Gatsby’s attraction to Daisy. When they reunite four years later in Nick’s cottage, Gatsby truly believes he can have a life with Daisy without consequence. Nick attempts to reason with Gatsby and remind him that he cannot repeat the past. Despite Nick’s efforts, Gatsby replies, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (116). Gatsby longs for his old life with Daisy and thinks he can easily return to that life. Unfortunately, Gatsby’s dream of Daisy slips further from his grasps. At the hotel, Gatsby demands Daisy tell Tom she never loved him. But to Gatsby’s surprise, Daisys admits, “I did love him once — but I loved you too” (140). Daisy’s confession confirms that she has changed from her younger self at Louisville. Yet, Gatsby fails to realize that Daisy is not who she used to be. Earlier at the hotel, Gatsby confesses he cannot really call himself an “Oxford man” because he had taken the opportunity as a soldier to study at Oxford for five months (135-136). Gatsby’s confession furthers the unraveling of his formidable tale. With the facts revealing themselves, Gatsby’s tale comes to a fatal conclusion. After Gatsby’s death, the appearance of Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, who telegrams for Nick to postpone the funeral until his arrival further confirms Gatsby’s life of lies. Upon the arrival of Mr. Gatz, Nick meets with Meyer Wolfshiem to discuss his attendance of Gatsby’s funeral. In their conversation, Nick asked Wolfshiem if he had started Gatsby in business and Wolfshiem replied, “I raised him up out of nothing, right out of the gutter… when he told me he was an Oggsford I knew I could

use him good (180).” With the facts revealing themselves, Nick realizes Gatsby did not acquire his money through inheritance, but through his business dealings with Meyer Wolfshiem and bootlegging alcohol. Nick had come to the disheartening conclusion that much of what Gatsby had told him about his life was a lie.
The character of the “Great Gatsby” is surrounded by illusions through a substantial amount of the novel. Gatsby himself encourages many of these rumors, which draws him further from reality. The illusion of Gatsby is further validated through Nick’s fascination with Gatsby’s luxurious lies that blur the truth as to who he is. The truth behind Gatsby’s life is slowly revealed through his failure to make his dream of a life with Daisy a reality. Nevertheless, Gatsby’s illusion of his life begins to fall apart with each truth being revealed.