The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The word “great” has many meanings – outstanding, eminent, grand, important, extraordinary, and noble – that vary with the intent of the speaker and the interpretation of the listener. Someone may perceive something as great, while someone else may consider that same thing horrendous. The greatness of a being is not determined by the individual, but by those around them who experience and perceive their greatness through actions and words. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator, Nick Carraway, believes Gatsby to be a great person with a “gorgeous” personality. It is Nick’s perceptions of Gatsby that encourage the reader to also find him “great.” Gatsby, through his actions, his dreams, and his heart, distinguishes himself from the “foul dust” and makes himself “worth the whole damn bunch put together.” Gatsby creates an illusion for others, as he manages to appear to belong to a higher class than he really does. He fools “the spectators” around him by throwing extravagant parties that give off a sense of great wealth and stature. While the person of Jay Gatsby himself is a masterful illusion, James Gatz, although a flawed character, is essentially great.

Gatsby is a man shrouded in a cloud of mystery. He has a large amount of money, and some people speculate as to how he has obtained it. There are also quite a few rumors circulating about him; someone even says that Gatsby looks like he killed a person. Gatsby throws some of the most extravagant parties, and everyone who is someone must be seen at one of them. He never reveals anything about himself to people; however, he does reveal his true nature to Nick, who explains Gatsby to us.

According to Dan McCall, a professor at Cornell University, “The ti...

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... man touches few people, but those he does reach, like Nick Carraway, he touches in lasting, meaningful ways.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.

Hickey, Angela D. "The Great Gatsby." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

Levitt, Paul Michael. "THE GREAT GATSBY And THE LADY WITH A DOG." Explicator 70.3 (2012): 157-160. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

McCall, Dan. "On The Great Gatsby." On The Great Gatsby. Cornell University New Student Reading Project, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

"The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald's Opulent Synthesis (1925)." Winding Road to West Egg: The Artistic Development of F. Scott Fitzgerald. 155-169. n.p.: Associated University Presses, 1995. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.