n the novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway describes his best friend Gatsby as “great”. As confusing and oxymoronic as it may sound, he is indeed great. The pursuit of his long-lost love is his primary goal, he overcame adversity, and he is one of the only rich people who hasn’t been corrupted by his wealth.
Many describe the twenties as the time of liberty and wealth; where the idea of the American Dream is steadily and seemingly becoming a reality for many, such as Jay Gatsby. However, Gatsby’s motivating factor towards wealth is to win Daisy back into his life. Gatsby specifically bought his mansion so “Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). The green light that burns at the end of Daisy’s dock signifies his longing for her love: his true American dream. Gatsby feels he will finally be up to Daisy’s standards through his newly acquired wealth, since “rich girls don’t marry poor boys” and she is only accustomed to wealth. Nick is the only person who recognizes Gatsby’s love as a reflection of his virtue, not of a reflection of what Daisy deserves. Gatsby’s unconditional love for Daisy is as admirable as it is gullible, and therefore makes him great.
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From a young age, Gatsby decided that he was going to get ahead in life. He created a strict daily schedule to lead him to success. His means of acquiring wealth are rather unconventional and immoral, but bootlegging allowed him to get rich quick instead of being trapped known as a poor farmer’s boy. Gatsby experienced failure, and his past allowed him to build character to facilitate the acquisition of his American Dream. His determination and potential is admired by Nick, who likes to feel inspired and hopeful. Gatsby is great because he was able to create a new identity for himself and overcome poverty to achieve his