How Is Jay Gatsby Selfish

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In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is a wealthy man obsessed with Daisy, driven by the desire to win back her love and pretend that they were never separated. In order to achieve this, Gatsby has created a character for himself that he thinks is the best man for Daisy and sticks to this persona with little regard to the damage caused by it. His relentless pursuit of Daisy is fueled by his belief that material wealth and social status are the keys to winning her back, so Gatsby thinks he has to truly change himself to draw her attention. These changes to Gatsby and the way he thinks of himself are revealed by the distinct diction choice. These changes and his obsession with changing the past ultimately lead to his downfall, as he becomes consumed by his own delusions and …show more content…

This word choice of "legally" is significant because it shows that while James Gatz is his legal name, he does not consider it to be who he really is. He wholly considers himself to be Jay Gatsby. This transformation into Jay Gatsby symbolizes his desire to reinvent himself and create a new identity in relentless pursuit of his idealized version of himself. Furthering this pursuit is Gatsby's decision to leave his parents behind." His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people— his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all." In Gatsby's picture of the perfect man, his parents don't fit. If they are unsuccessful, people will look down on Gatsby for it, soiling his reputation and facade of flawlessness. In Gatsby's mind, leaving his parents behind is a necessary step in distancing himself from his past and the limitations they represent. By cutting ties with them, he can fully embrace his new persona as Jay Gatsby without being held back by his upbringing. Nick makes a comment at this point, saying that with no parents, Gatsby was essentially a "son of God" spawned out of nothing besides the very idea of