Who Is Responsible For The Downfall Of The Great Gatsby

Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is quite a controversial character. A millionaire living in West Egg, Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle and everything in his life is easily attainable, or so it seems. Many would believe that he is living the American Dream of luxury and happiness, but hiding behind his wealth and mansion is an entirely different Gatsby. He is characterized as a respectable figure who loves to throw parties that many attend, but is also viewed as a man who cannot be trusted because the stories of his past do not align with one another. Above all, the ambition to pursue the idea of spending his life with Daisy eventually winds up causing the demise of the man known as “Jay Gatsby”. From

His parents were “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people—his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all” (Fitzgerald 98). Coming from a poor background caused Gatsby to not want to associate himself with the impoverished and unsuccessful, even if it meant not accepting his own family. This idea even drove him to legally changing his own name, James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, at the age of 17 to start fresh and distance himself from his past. On this quest for success, Gatsby meets Wolfshiem, who helped young Gatsby get on his feet and played a major role in his success. Together, they “‘bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter’” (Fitzgerald 133). Becoming a bootlegger was a successful attempt in gaining wealth that perfectly aligned with his ambitions, which exemplifies how young Gatsby would do whatever it takes, even if it means taking part in illegal activities, in the pursuit of the American Dream. As a result, he quickly rose through the ranks and his name became known to many. In fact, a major factor that contributed to his ambitions for success was the