What Makes The Great Gatsby Great

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What makes a character great? Is it his morals, character, achievements, or something else entirely? Is it more important what makes a character great or who makes a character great? The Great Gatsby propounds all of these questions and more, but it all boils down to one uncertainty: is Gatsby truly great? Nick Carraway wonders this and many other things about the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, whom he meets after moving to Long Island to work in bonds. Throughout Fitzgerald’s novel, Nick tries to ascertain who the real Gatsby is. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby’s greatest claim to greatness is his propensity for selflessness in his parties, his love for Daisy, and his willingness to ruin his life to save the one he loves. Gatsby sacrifices his money and time every weekend to throw an extravagant party for New York City, making him a great and selfless man. Jordan Baker insists that Gatsby does have an internal motivation to get the attention of Daisy through these parties. Despite this reason, he is still giving away his wealth to strangers. Charity is always noble. Gatsby is basically making a charitable donation to the people of New York. When …show more content…
Even though his almost obsessive feelings for her could be interpreted as overbearing, Daisy is ultimately flattered by his actions. Overall, Gatsby’s actions are perceived by those around him as noble which, in turn, makes him noble. Gatsby is a very wealthy and ornate man but all of his worldly accomplishments pale in comparison to how much he values his one true love. Nick is touched by his feelings in this quote, cementing the notion that those around Gatsby see his love as noble. Jordan Baker also expresses her admiration of Gatsby’s fairytale when she first hears of it. All that matters in life and literature is how a person is perceived by those around him. Nick perceives Gatsby and his love for Daisy as
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