How Is Jay Gatsby Selfish

What is so great about the “Great Gatsby”? Though he has many moments showing his kindness and generosity, there are also many points where he is inconsiderate and selfish. Within the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby can be seen in multiple different lights, whether his words and actions show his many great traits, or they show his many flaws. Gatsby’s actions and behaviors show how kind people can begin to lose themselves when it comes to love, causing them to make irrational and immoral decisions.
Throughout the novel, Gatsby’s treatment of Nick can be seen as both very kind as well as very selfish and sneaky. When Jay first invited and met Nick at his party, he was very cordial and courteous. He invited Nick to

He asked him, “‘Want to go with me, old sport? Just near the shore along the Sound’”. Nick responded with, “”What time?’” and Gatsby kindly said, “‘Any time that suits you best’”(Fitzgerald 47). Gatsby made himself seem like a very nice and selfless person by being very flexible with the time and generously offering Nick to test out the plane with him. Also, when Gatsby had to leave his conversation with Jordan and Nick, he told Nick, “‘If you want anything just ask for it, old sport’” (Fitzgerald 48). These kind words allowed Nick to feel comfortable with Gatsby which seemed to be exactly what Gatsby wanted in order to fulfill his true desire, which was not a friendship with Nick. After going to Gatsby’s party, Jordan told Nick about Daisy and Gatsby’s history together. She expressed how they had been in love before Gatsby went off to war and that they tried to wait for each other but Daisy could not wait and married Tom. Gatsby was still holding the hope of him and

When Nick agreed to invite Gatsby and Daisy to his house for tea, Gatsby really showed his true love for Daisy. He wanted to make Nick’s house perfect for her because he believed that she always deserved the best. By “eleven o’clock a man in a raincoat dragging a lawn-mower tapped at [Nick’s] front door and said that Mr. Gatsby had sent him over to cut my grass…The flowers were unnecessary, for at two o’clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby’s, with innumerable receptacles to contain it” (Fitzgerald 83). Jay went completely out of his way to attempt to ensure Daisy had the best experience with him in hopes that it would further push Daisy back to him. He cared so deeply for Daisy and expressed to her how beautiful he thought she was, but he also did not respect her as a person and was very inconsiderate of how she feels or how she wants to handle things. This was shown when Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan were in the hotel in New York City. Gatsby was dying for Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him and had always loved Gatsby. Daisy was very reluctant to say this to him, so Gatsby took it upon himself to say “She never loved you, do you hear?'' he cried. “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except