Examples Of Heroism In The Great Gatsby

Two of the greatest motivators in life are fame and wealth. They drive many of the everyday decisions members in society make. However, they do not always go hand in hand. The choice between wealth and fame captivates many, and releases them, completely changed. To have fame and be recognized as a hero is a great honor. People want to have someone to look up to, someone that will represent them, which is what this idyllic notion of a hero represents. This notion of who a hero is can be called into question in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Although the namesake of the novel is often thought of as the hero, Nick exhibits the truest heroic qualities through genuine involvement in the lives of others that separates him from the remaining characters.

Oftentimes the hero is one who can make necessary choices, despite them being the unpopular ones. Nick does this through providing a reasonable opinion through the fogs of confusion hopes and dreams create. After the party to which Tom and Daisy came, Gatsby reflects with Nick about the difficulty Daisy has in remembering the past connection she had with Gatsby. Nick advises that “‘I wouldn’t ask too much of her,’ I ventured. ‘You can’t repeat the past’” (Fitzgerald 116). Although Gatsby desperately wants to hear anything but this, Nick tries to bring reason to his longing soul. His vehement attempts to give Gatsby truth, even though they aren’t the closest of acquaintainces, paints an accurate picture of Nick’s heroic character. He does what is in his power to dissuade Gatsby from making the mistake of chasing the past that will uproot his and his love’s lives and make them irreparable. In this instance, Nick strives for the emotional protection from poor decisions, however he also advises against riskily putting oneself in physical danger. Having ridden in a car with her, Nick cautions Jordan Baker on her driving. “You’re a rotten driver. Either you ought to be more careful or you oughtn’t to drive at all. Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself” (Fitzgerald 63). Nick disregards what Jordan will think of his criticism in order to protect her from the fantasy that there is no risk involved in her methods of driving. Ms. Baker believes that she can drive crazily and will not get in an accident, but Nick points out that that is not the case. He serves the purpose of a presence to ground her back into reality and bring to light the real dangers she puts herself