The Great Gatsby Self-Made Analysis

Words: 962
Pages: 4
Open Document
The Great Gatsby sets the book up about the American dream, that people try to accomplish and prosper. How one achieves the American dream can be helped throughout the journey, or becoming successful through their own efforts, in other words “self-made.” Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, at first glance can be inferred to have accomplished the American dream, as the synopsis describes him as “fabulously wealthy,” and him having “lavish parties.” However, may Gastby be referred to as “self-made?” Through thorough examination of the novel, Gatsby may be considered “self-made,” through his efforts of his journey, how seriously Gatsby took it, and how he is nothing more than a dreamer. Before he was “The Great Gatsby,” he used to be a small man from …show more content…
This all leads to getting the love of Daisy back, resurrecting a past love that he now dreams of. After leaving for the war and eventually coming back, Gatsby and Daisy did not work out mainly because of money. "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay," (64). Gatsby buys this house that overlooks Daisy's house just across the bay hoping one day that she will come to these big, lavish parties he hosts. He only throws them in hopes that she will stop by one night, in hopes of proving that he has money. He also uses Nick, who is a cousins of Daisies, in hopes that she will come and have a cup of tea with them."He wants to know," continued Jordan, "if you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over," (63). He decides to utilize, Nick who he believes could be the key to regain his happiness, if she decides to show up. He is willing to do anything to get the heart back from Daisy, however slowly he keeps getting sucked in and blocking all of the outside world he lives in, as this ends up being the cause of his death. Reflecting upon these events, “self-made” fits the definition of Jay Gatsby, as he came from nothing to turn his life around, risking anything and everything that included serious crimes in order to relive a dream that died long ago, with him and Daisy. One can argue of how got there was not done right, but he did himself with the world against him. This novel shows a great demonstration of how the American dream can be achieved, even from starting a new persona. Even though his efforts may of came up short, he most certainly exemplifies what “self-made” looks
Show More

Related Documents: The Great Gatsby Self-Made Analysis

Eyes Of Dr. J. Eckleburg Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Gatsby: The Story of Us Jay Gatsby is one of the most memorable characters ever written in literature. Whether it be his extravagant parties, his overwhelming wealth, or simply his compassionate smile, Gatsby never fails to captivate the reader. Although Mr. Gatsby plays a large role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s critically acclaimed novel The Great Gatsby, there is a stronger force at work within this literary classic. Sometimes hidden deep within the lines or even standing in plain sight, symbolism…

Words 1663 - Pages 7

The Great Gatsby Research Paper

the Long Island, New York area, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an emblematic reflection on 1920s America, specifically the deterioration of the American dream in a period of revolutionary affluence and worldly decadence. Fitzgerald depicts the Roaring Twenties as a period of decomposed moral and social principles, confirmed in its comprehensive avarice, cynicism, and hedonism. Dreams can often be corrupted by unworthy pursuits. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald an understanding…

Words 698 - Pages 3

How Is Tom Buchanan And Jay Gatsby Alike

Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan Literary Analysis Essay. Liam Hickernell In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, “The Great Gatsby,” Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan share both similarities and differences, each representing their views on the American Dream. Although Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan share similarities, such as their living conditions and social status, their dreams and aspirations differ. Gatsby, with his mysterious past and drive to make money, shows one side of the American Dream, where anyone can make…

Words 963 - Pages 4

Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gatsby Essay

Roaring 20’s in The Great Gatsby In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the plot is centered in the postwar cultural capital of the Anglo-American world: New York. The post-war economy and atmosphere resulting from the Great War play a vital role in the outcome of the novel, as it is a critical element in the portrayal of both Tom and Gatsby. The culture of the underground crime in the 1920’s hinted throughout the novel is a direct result of Prohibition. After World War I, the United States…

Words 1078 - Pages 5

Lit Journal Essay

|Analysis (incorporating two textual elements) | |Gatsby (or Nick’s |If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, |In Nick’s first depiction of the “great” Gatsby, he | |view of Gatsby) |then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened |simultaneously denounces and condones Gatsby. Nick’s | | |sensitivity to the promises of life.… [Gatsby had] an |characterization of Gatsby shows that Gatsby symbolizes…

Words 1868 - Pages 8

The Great Gatsby Analysis Essay

Introduction “The Great Gatsby” is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in 1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922. The novel takes place following the First World War. American society enjoyed prosperity during the “roaring” as the economy soared. At the same…

Words 5604 - Pages 23

Great Gatsby Review

Title: The Great Gatsby Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2) Summary: The Great Gatsby is told from the perspective of a man named Nick. Nick moves to New York to start a new job selling bonds. He moves in next door to a man named Jay Gatsby. Early on in his first summer there Nick goes to dinner at his cousin Daisy and his old friend Tom’s house. He meets Jordan Baker there. Later he attends one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties. He again meets up with Jordan and he also meets Gatsby for the first…

Words 9628 - Pages 39

ragged dick and sister carrie Essay

assert that the historical context of each novel cannot be ignored either. Kirk Curnutt, in an essay published in 2011, coined the phrase ‘national ideology of boundless opportunity’ 1in reference to The Great Gatsby but this paper takes the position that as Curnutt is offering a 21st century analysis of a 20th century text it is too remote from the 19th century novels in question to be used as a panchronic standard. This will be done by comparing the representations of gender and ethnicity between…

Words 3620 - Pages 15

Essay about Formalism: First-person Narrative and Old Man

Intro- What is Formalism? So, as it mentions within the word itself, Formalsim focuses primarily on the “form” of literary work. Formalism focuses on analysing the structure and organization of ONLY the work. In other words, formalist views treat literary work as a closed unit, exempt from any other interpretation but the work itself. The text’s formal elements are also analysed (which are the, figurative language, language structures and literary techniques in the work). Formal elements basically…

Words 4198 - Pages 17

Department of English Spring 2014 Course Descriptions Essays

conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In particular, we will attend to the ethics of representation, asking who is assigned the roles of hero, villain, and victim in the works we study, and why the writers and film directors have made the choices they do. The arguments made by these books and films are part of evolving conversation about the nature of organized violence, and our task will be to account for these shifts in perspective. In order to do so, we will have to attend not only to the technological…

Words 9501 - Pages 39