The Analysis of Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby”

Michael D. Morrow 

December 15, 2013 

AP Literature 

6th period 

The Analysis of Jay Gatsby in “The Great Gatsby” 

The main character in the novel “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a man who can be described as mysterious named Jay Gatsby. The character is determined to capture to heart of a glamorous and wealthy woman he met in the past. Gatsby rose up from living in poor conditions to a man making millions from bootlegging. The problem is that she is now married to a man described as a “brute” and Jay, himself, has personal problems of his own. Jay Gatsby is determined man, who worked his way in ranks to get where he wants to be due to his traits that includes dishonesty, idealistic, and obsessiveness. 

Gatsby shows his dishonesty more than once in the text. Gatsby led everyone to believe his name was “Jay Gatsby” which in fact his real born name is Jimmy Gatz. He told Nick Carraway that he came from a wealthy family in the Midwest but they were all dead. When he was talking with Carraway, he lies about his past saying that he had come from money but lost most of it in the war. He then went on to say that at one point in his life he was involved the businesses of drugs then oil. Tom Buchanan caught Gatsby in one of his lies, when finding out what Gatsby actually does, which was the illegal profession of bootlegging, and had nothing to do with drugs. Gatsby made up fake stories and rumors to increase his popularity. These lies would include things like: he killed a man and he was a German spy in the war. 

Gatsby shows a strong passion of trying to obtain the idealistic vision of the American Dream and live in a world that does not accept him. He has the idea that throw these lavish parties, where no one in the party know who he is, will get him closer to achieving his goal. He thought if he plan his time correctly and have all these exquisite material things, he could live life comparable to his past love, Daisy Buchanan, and other “East Eggers”. Gatsby lived in West Egg, the people who were considered the “new money” as in the people who were not born into wealth, like the people of East Egg. Gatsby was trying to live to role others did want him did want him to play. 

Jay Gatsby is also very obsessive. He is obsessive with one main person: Daisy Buchanan, the woman previously discussed as his “past love”. Gatsby shows a strong obsession for Daisy. He went to the extremities of changing his entire lifestyle just to impress and be with her. Gatsby's obsession for Daisy deterred him of what she really was. Daisy was only attracted to the wealth of a person. When Daisy found out how wealthy Gatsby was, she instantly was attracted to him.  

All those traits-being dishonesty, idealistic, and obsessiveness- describes Jay Gatsby. His dishonesty and obsessiveness, in my opinion, ultimately lead him to his death, which was caused by Daisy. His mind was eluded by the thought of having a perfect and carefree life. In my mindset I do not see anything “great” about Gastby.