Gatsby Greatness Quotes

Many argue that greatness is determined through wealth and social status. By such metrics, Jay Gatsby, the protagonist of The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, certainly falls within such a category. Gatsby is a wealthy millionaire who becomes fluent in the language of the elite. Hosting frequent parties for the rich to attend, Gatsby has become the talk of the town with his extravagant charades. Very rarely would one ever give up the opportunity to meet such a man. However, despite his vast influence and popularity, it becomes difficult to argue in favor of Gatsby’s greatness by a more moral set of standards. More specifically, a set of standards that focus more closely on one's personality rather than the material gains they

Throughout the novel, the reader is told the details of Gatsby’s grand attempt to swindle the love of his life and the consequences of his schemes. Nevertheless, in his efforts, we uncover his dissatisfaction with reality, which can most clearly be seen in the following quote. “Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one” (Fitzgerald 98). Daisy had once existed as this ethereal being whose glory was too great to be graced by man. His fascination with her seemed endless, and soon he was doing all he could in his power in order to get as close as he could to her. For this woman he has not seen in over five years, Gatbsy became one of the wealthiest men in New York, boasting parties of unheard magnitudes, all in an attempt to impress the woman across the straight. Yet now that he had her in his arms, the

Later in the novel, it is revealed that Gatsby lied when he claimed that his fortune came via inheritance; in reality, he made his wealth through bootlegging alcohol in conjunction with Wolfsheim. In this case, the moral dilemma is much more apparent, with the question being whether it is right or wrong to go about means outside the law to acquire one's wealth. In such a situation, you cannot blame someone for taking such a path, as it provides an exuberant amount of wealth in such a short period of time. However, when discussing the moral principles of man, money cannot be a proper justification for such behavior. The other possible justification that Gatsby may offer in his defense is his pursuit of love. In his eyes, one of the requirements for Daisy to accept him is wealth; without it, he will fall among the other discarded men who are not entirely on par with Daisy. The issue with this, though, is that his idea of love is built on this superficial platform that there need to be all these prerequisites to loving someone and that love cannot exist through only a genuine connection. Furthermore, Daisy cannot even justify Gatsby’s deplorable actions. “It passed, and he began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made. But with every word she was drawing further into herself, so he gave it up” (Fitzgerald 142). Despite his