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Is The Great Gatsby Really Great

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The Not That Great Gatsby

The definition of greatness has changed throughout the centuries. Constantine the Great, Cnut the Great, and Cyrus the Great were all monarchs who led extensive empires and gained the title of “Great.” But what makes a person great? Is it the people’s money or values that distinguish them? Someone who is great stands out and is respected and admired. Great people are rarely forgotten because they have a positive effect on others. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick calls Gatsby “Great.” However, Gatsby’s actions throughout the story prove that he should not be called the “Great Gatsby.” Although many people would argue that Gatsby deserves this title because he becomes rich, Gatsby loses his …show more content…

More notably, Daisy’s attitude towards Gatsby directly affects him, causing Gatsby to lose control of his own life. In chapter 4, Jordan tells Nick about Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. She explains to Nick that Gatsby bought his house “so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). She also infers that Gatsby throws profligate parties at his house expecting Daisy to attend. Gatsby makes significant decisions based on Daisy. He buys his house to live close to her, and throws extravagant parties to see her. People should not center their lives on a person because people change. Different experiences change what a person values and wants. Gatsby fails to understand that Daisy’s experiences have changed her, and he lives his life trying to impress her and repeat the …show more content…

Even though “his parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people”, he becomes rich and almost achieves the American Dream (98). Therefore, he is seen as an inspiring person. It is understandable why the opposition argues that he is a great person. Though they have a reasonable point, Gatsby changed his life through illegal activities. He obtained his wealth by bootlegging, which was illegal during Prohibition. A great person would have become rich in an honest way, demonstrating financial skills. Great people have principles and do not damage others to reach their goals. Gatsby’s illegal business affected families by allowing them to spend their money on alcohol instead of groceries and essential needs, one of the main points of Prohibition. Therefore, Gatsby is neither an ethical nor a great

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771 Words | 4 Pages

This incident highlights the corruption of the time period and how money can change the way a person acts. Gatsby’s connection with law enforcement was questionable, with speculation that many of his past dealings were illegal. These actions and events put into question whether Gatsby is an authentic and moral character. Nobody knows whether Gatsby's actions are justified by determination and high aspirations of achieving his goal, or purely evil, including manipulation and selfishness. Gatsby's self-made rags to riches story additionally contributes to his moral ambiguity.

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1014 Words | 5 Pages

Gatsby’s “Greatness” Greatness is showed by the choices we make in life. From how we see the circumstances and how we react to them. Gatsby is not as great of a man as Nick claims that he is. Gatsby makes foolish, childish and delusional decisions and not at all great.

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610 Words | 3 Pages

On one hand, Gatsby gains enormous wealth through his own effort from the bottom of the society, which could be regarded as “the great” from a practical perspective in his guests’ eyes. However, in the end, his success becomes just an illusion. His ultimate dream—Daisy’s love –cannot be gained even if he is that wealthy, and his tragic death indicates that “the greatness” of his striving is easy to be destroyed. On the other hand, “the great” also reveals that Gatsby used to be a great figure in his numerous guests’ eyes, when he is able to hold glamorous parties every week. However, ironically, eventually he is just a nobody that none of his friends except Nick care after his death.

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1055 Words | 5 Pages

However, not only that he's also very charming and knows the way of being a gentleman. In his youthful days he was trained under an old guy named Dan Cody who taught Gatsby on how to become better overall as a person, inside and out. Though Some may argue that Gatsby is not great because of his criminal ways of getting wealthy and the way he did, it may not seem that Gatsby did not get his money the honest way he really got it by Bootlegging Alcohol. However, this is incorrect because it's not like he was totally terrible; he did serve the military, and got a medal of heroism. More on showing how Gatsby was as a person, but as an example in the real world if someone got rich by getting rich on bootlegging, nobody will think of that person as a Great, more so just a fraud and not deserving of anything the main point is that one bad action of a person can easily get overshadowed by more good deeds done.

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638 Words | 3 Pages

What is the definition of greatness? Some people define greatness by accomplishments and others define greatness by how they have impacted and changed the world and the people around them. Gatsby had all of these traits but what truly made him great was his willingness and determination to achieve his

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652 Words | 3 Pages

Greatness is not being moral, nor is it being well-liked. In reality, greatness is fame, impact, and being distinguished from others. In the fictional world, Gatsby is set apart by his wealth and mystique, but his parties are what make him truly great. His extravagant wealth is put on display at his parties, and at his parties, he is the subject of gossip over the mysteries of his life, which contributes to his fame. However, among the Eggers and elites Gatsby is known for his parties; people may idly wonder about his education and background, but as long as his parties are lavish

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850 Words | 4 Pages

Identify the quality or qualities in Gatsby that confirm the word great in the novel’s title. The word great is usually bestowed upon those heroic figures that either manage to change the world or save it from a tragic destiny. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald was able to introduce a new perspective and a whole different side of meaning behind the term ‘great’ through his novel The Great Gatsby.

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547 Words | 3 Pages

After reading “The Great Gatsby” I’m excited to write an essay on this topic. Because to me when witting you’re opinion to this you have to “dig deeper” and when you’re thinking of what the word “Greatness” means. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean “good” or “worthy of admiration”. Sometimes a really terrible person could be “great” in this sense, because they accomplish things bigger than life. The terms of it could also mean “large” or “of magnitude” depending on the way you’re looking at it.

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1387 Words | 6 Pages

Any average person would desire to be a “Gatsby” who is extremely wealthy, widely idolized, and seemingly impeccable. Indeed, what makes Gatsby great is his lavish lifestyle and self-earned wealth. However, the more one observes Gatsby, the more one realizes that his epithet is incongruous with his actual character. Not only is the major factor that makes him remarkable, wealth, a result of illegal bootlegging, but he seems to contradict his ‘greatness’ in various instances in the novel. This leaves the readers to speculate that the title of the book is ironic as Gatsby is not great because he is too naïve, pursues after a married Daisy and does not achieve the American Dream.

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398 Words | 2 Pages

Greatness is for many people the ultimate goal. Many spend their whole lives trying to achieve greatness, trying to be remembered. But for some, greatness is simply thrust upon them. Nick Carraway, the narrator in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, thrusts greatness onto the protagonist Gatsby. Gatsby has many qualities associated with greatness.

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1122 Words | 5 Pages

Beginning with becoming rich and buying the house across the Bay he developed an obsession with her. Unable to live his life, searching the papers everyday hoping to catch just a glimpse of her name to see what she was up to, Gatsby was setting himself up for failure. He never opened up to the idea that things could change and that Daisy could love someone else. Daisy pushed Gatsby away in the end because of the person Tom had made him out to be. She saw Gatsby as damaged which only damaged him more, leaving him to feel unloved by the person he loved

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1661 Words | 7 Pages

On a scale from 1 to 10, how “great” are you? Can someone judge whether a person is great or not great? If there is a standard for this notion, one could list some steps to reach the state of greatness. Possessing a great personality, being wealthy, being honorable, being admired can all add up to the idea of success and being “great.” There is a rife of details in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby where the author tries to convey to the readers how great Gatsby is or, simply, not great.

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597 Words | 3 Pages

Gatsby has a fortune, illegal albeit, but still a fortune. Gatsby was the son of a farmer and was inspired by Dan Cody to make a name for himself and achieve his dreams. However the American Dream lost its original meaning in the 1920s, thanks to bootlegging and the mob business that was becoming so popular on the east coast. Gatsby took advantage of this to make a shortcut of the American Dream. At this point Gatsby wasn't concerned with accomplishing anything as long as he felt accomplished.

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542 Words | 3 Pages

In a sense, the word “great” can be attributed to large and grand things such as Gatsby’s, house, his lavish parties, his wealth, and even his personality. All of these can be viewed as trophies of success or in a particular person’s eyes, greatness. Throughout the novel Nick is enamored by Gatsby's outstanding personality and ability to hold onto hope. He describes Gatsby as having, “..an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again. ”(2).

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1373 Words | 6 Pages

While on the surface, Gatsby does have a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, it is not a virtuous one; he amasses his wealth through illegal channels by working with Meyer Wolfsheim, and never fulfills his dream, Daisy. Also, He changes his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby when he first encounters Dan Cody. Because Gatsby has to take on an entirely different persona to achieve success, disguising his poor upbringing and suggesting that James Gatz could never achieve the American dream. Gatsby first attempts to earn his financial success by performing menial labor for Cody, but when Cody’s ex-wife swindles Gatsby out of his inheritance, he turns to illegal means of getting rich. Not only does Gatsby illegally gain his wealth my selling grain liquor over the counter, but he also does so under the direction of Meyer Wolfsheim, breaking two essential qualities of the self-made man, virtue, and independence.

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