Ralf And The Giant Potatoe

The Truly Great Gatsby

Is his novel the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald creates Gatsby as a character who becomes great. He begins life as just an ordinary, lower-class, citizen. But Gatsby has a dream of becoming wealthy. After meeting Daisy, he has a reason to strive to become prominent. Throughout his life, Gatsby gains the title of truly being great.

Even before Gatsby is introduced, he is hinted at being out of the ordinary. The first evidence of this is when Nick says, "Gatsby turned out all right at the end." (2) Nothing was known about Gatsby at the time and Nick is already saying Gatsby was okay. There's a air of mysteriousness surrounding Gatsby. Everyone knows of him, but no one knows who he really is or where he comes from. Even at our first glance of Gatsby, he's reaching out for something only he can see.

There were many stories flying about Gatsby but no one knew what to really believe. In on instance Jordan made the comment, "I think he killed a man." (49) Even when Gatsby confessed about his past he didn't always tell the truth. He told Nick he inherited great wealth, but in reality, Gatsby gained his wealth on his own. Even though Gatsby lied, the fact that he made himself what he was makes him even that much greater.

When Gatsby was still James Gatz, he had a dream of leaving his life on the farm behind and become part of the upper-class. Even Gatsby's father knew when he said, "If he'd lived, he'd of been a great man." (169) Little did his father know that Gatsby was already great. Gatsby didn't always do the right thing to gain his wealth but he was always good at heart.

His first real break in the outside world was when he met his best friend Dan Cody. Gatsby was seventeen at the time and had just left his life on the farm. Cody was a wealthy man of fifty and he showed Gatsby the ways of the world. It was said that Cody found Gatsby to be " ... quick and extravagantly ambitious." (101) He took Gatsby in and treated him almost as a son. Gatsby was to inherit some of Cody's wealth after his death but was stripped of his inheritance by Ella Kaye.

After Gatsby was introduced to Daisy, she was the only thing that mattered to him. It takes a great man to have that kind of love for one person. Even though Daisy didn't deserve Gatsby's love, he was loyal to her to the end. Daisy was both the main cause of Gatsby's greatness, and also the only cause of foolishness in his life. His absolute love and devotion for her is what destroyed him, even before his death.

Gatsby and Nick both served as officers in the war and he told Nick "Then the war came ... it was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die ... " (66) Gatsby knew he wasn't good enough for Daisy and death would've been an easy way out. However, Gatsby survived the war, and with honors as well. Even during war times Gatsby demonstrated his greatness in being a superb soldier. Upon his return to America, he concentrated on winning Daisy back.

Gatsby's life between the war and when he's introduced in the book is quite vague. It is known later that he at some point went into business with a man named Meyer Wolfsheim. Wolfsheim was a man with a shady past and possible connections with the Mafia. Gatsby, however, hides his connections quite well even if the stories do fly. Wolfsheim claims to have made Gatsby the man that he was.

Throughout the book Gatsby is a gracious host and yet a mysterious one. He is rarely seen at his extravagant parties but doesn't really seem to mind that he misses them. It is found out later that he only held the parties to see if Daisy would show. He always handles himself like a true gentleman. Even in awkward moments, such as his meetings with Daisy's husband Tom. There was one time when Gatsby lost his cool and that was when he was to see Daisy for the first time in five years. He suddenly became as giddy as a schoolboy. He had worked for so long to please Daisy and seeing her would be the moment of truth.