The Trageic Hero George Wilson in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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There are plenty of heroes in the human society: tragic heroes, anti - heroes, and the old - fashioned courageous heroes. Although all of these heroes are appealing and fascinating, the most interesting hero to read and study is the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. An illustration of this hero can be exemplified In The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The tragic hero displayed in the novel is named George Wilson. Mr. Wilson can be seen as an unusual character in the sense that he does very little and has a unique personality, which allowed for a tragic twist nearing the end of the novel. Mr. Wilson is an important player in The Great Gatsby and portrays characteristics of a tragic hero because he is an innocent person with great goals and dreams, however, this leads his thoughts and beliefs in the wrong direction. Because of this, one can elicit pity and fear from Mr. Wilson because he is not able to clearly see what is really happening around him. While certain characters in novels have flaws that provide a mysterious or strange image toward them, Mr. Wilson is completely far from that “mysterious” feel, until we catch a glimpse of his true colours nearing the end of the novel. Throughout the book, Mr. Wilson is merely a person who works in a car garage all day, just to save enough money to relieve himself out of his terrible position. “[He’s] been here too long. [He] wants to get away. [His] wife and [him] want to go west.”(Fitzgerald. 123) This quote exemplifies how Wilson wants to shift from the Valley of Ashes to a more decent household that will satisfy his greater needs. These personal goals to succeed in life ... ... middle of paper ... ...ssful in life. In conclusion, Mr. Wilson’s actions display a wide variety of emotions towards the readers and can elicit pity and fear for George, which is a key characteristic in the tragic hero. Mr. Wilson is a critical character in the The Great Gatsby, which allows the reader to be convinced that Mr. Wilson is without question a tragic hero. Mr. Wilson possesses characteristics of a tragic hero since he is an innocent person with great goals and dreams, however, this leads his thoughts and beliefs in the wrong direction. Because of this, one can elicit pity and fear from Mr. Wilson because he is not able to clearly see what is really happening around him. Mr. Wilson is a simple man, but is able to thicken the plot when he shows his twisted personality nearing the last chapter of the novel. A tragic hero has characteristics such as the ones that George Displays.

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