the O-NOT-SO great Gatsby

Gatsby IS Great

If one has recently read the literature of the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald; most will take for granted the title of his famous book, The Great Gatsby, is nothing more than a contradiction. In fact, the author ends up killing the character, Gatsby; therefore one can conclude that Gatsby himself could not be all that great, correct? Was F. Scott Fitzgerald being facetious, or was he serious? Many points can be argued that Gatsby was truly great. To begin with F. Scott Fitzgerald was a very serious man throughout his life, and he was very serious when it came to his fiction. F. Scott Fitzgerald believed that Gatsby was truly a great man, and therefore entitled this book after him. Other hints are given during this classic piece of American Literature. The fact that Gatsby rose to great expectations, the fact that very few could understand him, and Gatsby’s passion to be great prove Gatsby’s greatness.
Another great American writer John Steinbeck believes “It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.” This statement holds true for Gatsby. During his entire life Gatsby was a poor man with the inspiration to one day become big. Even as a child, he had made plans to become great. His father even says, “Jimmy [Gatsby] was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this [referring to his schedule] or something.” (173). Gatsby was a man who worked hard to get ahead. Norman Vincent Peale says anyone can become great, “Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes up his mind to do. We are all capable of greater things than we realize.” Even though a long time has occurred between the time Gatsby and Daisy had met, Gatsby was willing to work hard to win Daisy back. When his friend Nick points out “You can’t repeat the past”, Gatsby refutes this and says, “Can’t repeat the past? ... Well of course you can” (110). Gatsby Refuses to acknowledge any obstacles.
Ralph Waldo Emerson states, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Great people are usually ahead of their time. For example, Copernicus thought that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe. This idea that is so ordinary today almost got him burned at the stake. In theory, the Great Gatsby was truly a man ahead of his time. Although he wasn’t ahead of his time scientifically so to speak, he was ahead of his time socially. "Misunderstood" in this case refers to the legions of people who refused to deviate from the normality, the fundamentals and thus do not understand/wish to understand Gatsby. The only person that truly understood him was Nick. When Great Gatsby dies, Nick finds himself the only person who cares.
“it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested- interested, I mean with that intense personal interest to which every one has some vague right at the end.” (164).
To make a man perfectly happy tell him he works too hard, that he spends too much money, that he is ''misunderstood'' or that he is ''different''; none of this is necessarily complimentary, but it will flatter him infinitely more that merely telling him that he is brilliant, or noble, or wise, or good. This is as it was for Gatsby. “I found myself on Gatsby’s side, and alone.” (164)
Nothing great has ever been done without passion. Daisy was a rich girl, and she was expected to marry a rich man. Gatsby believed that he himself although poor, could win Daisy’s heart, and worked hard to fulfill this expectation. Everything Gatsby did was in passion, to win over a young lady’s heart. In any story, the protagonist doesn’t have to have good morals to win over an audience’s hearts; only the person has to have character, and passion. Gatsby had both, and therefore should be able to win over a reader’s viewpoint. Gatsby was passionate, as well as Great.

I agree with that Gatspy was NOT great. I do think that Nick learned that a man(or woman) is measured by more than by what he owns. He sould be measured by his great deeds and the goodness he has shared with others. :-)