Why is Gatsby great?
After finishing this novel, this question keep me puzzled for a long time. Is this an irony? As a result of deep thinking and analyzing others' reviews, I finally came to a conclusion, that it isn't a irony.
Gatsby is dramatically great.
First, he is a man of ambition and diligence.
He was born poor materially but not mentally ,longing for a broader world outside. Accidentally he met Dan Cody, a wealthy captain who bring him to the upper class, changing his life. Gatsby was not Gat was called James Gatz originally, but he changed his name in order to suit his status. When he was young, he fell in love with a beautiful debutante, Daisy, when the first world war broke out abruptly. Gatsby reluctantly joined the army, expecting to marry her as soon as the war ended. To his depression, he couldn’t return to America for some particular reason, and five years passed, Daisy married a rich football player, which convinced Gatsby that it was the desire of money captivated Daisy’s pure soul, so he exerted himself to make money, though by some shady business. In consequence of his diligence, he became a famous millionaire that everyone knew in West Egg. It was an typical American story: a poor man managed to be rich
Second, he is a man of romantic dream and honest love.
He built a luxurious mansion across the bay of Daisy’ house, holding extravagant parties every night, merely because maybe someday she would come. After several twists and turns, he got the opportunity to met her again. He was so into her that as a middle-aged man he couldn’t calm himself. He decorated the room with fresh flowers like garden, just as a teenage boy who is to date with his crushed girl for the first time. When the doorbell rang, he went out and ran in the pouring rain in order to hold back his excitement. There wouldn’t be a more honest man in the world, let alone in the materialistic society where unction was learnt by everyone and honesty was seen as foolishness. His love was the purest in the world and no one would have the honor to accept it. Even though it struck him that Daisy no longer loved him, what she loved was merely his money and the stimulation caused by affairs. After Daisy killed a woman by car accident, he chose to take the responsibility, in order that she would lead an easier life.
Last but not the least, he is a man who can find devout hope in impasse and keep it on in the firm belief.
He was convinced that it was himself who was the man Daisy ever loved from the beginning to the end, and that she merely married her husband for money. Even after she told him literally that she once love both of them but she only love Gatsby at that moment, he couldn’t accept it.‘Daisy will call’, he just believed for no reason. He moved the telephone around the swimming pool, for fear that he might miss her call. He believed that everyone was as kind as he. He believed in the diming green light.
At the same time, “the great Gatsby” is also an irony. The narrator Nick
Carraway who hardly ever commented on anybody else said that Gatsby were worth the whole damn bunch put together. The people around Gatsby, including Tom
Buchanan, Daisy, Meyer Wolfshiem spotlighted his greatness: he treated everyone well when he was alive, but ridiculously no one except Nick would like to attend his funeral. All of the charge was born by him, but in fact he never did one of them. He was the only good man, also the only punished man. What an irony. American dreams were broken just like fragile bubbles along with Gatsby’s lonely death. Millions of teenagers were making themselves another Gatsby, charged with
ambition, diligence, love, honesty ,hope, dream, but they inevitably ended up dying miserable.
Why is Gatsby great?
After finishing this novel, this question keep me puzzled for a long time. Is this an irony? As a result of deep thinking and analyzing others' reviews, I finally came to a conclusion, that it isn't a irony.
Gatsby is dramatically great.
First, he is a man of ambition and diligence.
He was born poor materially but not mentally ,longing for a broader world outside. Accidentally he met Dan Cody, a wealthy captain who bring him to the upper class, changing his life. Gatsby was not Gat was called James Gatz originally, but he changed his name in order to suit his status. When he was young, he fell in love with a beautiful debutante, Daisy, when the first world war broke out abruptly. Gatsby reluctantly joined the army, expecting to marry her as soon as the war ended. To his depression, he couldn’t return to America for some particular reason, and five years passed, Daisy married a rich football player, which convinced Gatsby that it was the desire of money captivated Daisy’s pure soul, so he exerted himself to make money, though by some shady business. In consequence of his diligence, he became a famous millionaire that everyone knew in West Egg. It was an typical American story: a poor man managed to be rich
Second, he is a man of romantic dream and honest love.
He built a luxurious mansion across the bay of Daisy’ house, holding extravagant parties every night, merely because maybe someday she would come. After several twists and turns, he got the opportunity to met her again. He was so into her that as a middle-aged man he couldn’t calm himself. He decorated the room with fresh flowers like garden, just as a teenage boy who is to date with his crushed girl for the first time. When the doorbell rang, he went out and ran in the pouring rain in order to hold back his excitement. There wouldn’t be a more honest man in the world, let alone in the materialistic society where unction was learnt by everyone and honesty was seen as foolishness. His love was the purest in the world and no one would have the honor to accept it. Even though it struck him that Daisy no longer loved him, what she loved was merely his money and the stimulation caused by affairs. After Daisy killed a woman by car accident, he chose to take the responsibility, in order that she would lead an easier life.
Last but not the least, he is a man who can find devout hope in impasse and keep it on in the firm belief.
He was convinced that it was himself who was the man Daisy ever loved from the beginning to the end, and that she merely married her husband for money. Even after she told him literally that she once love both of them but she only love Gatsby at that moment, he couldn’t accept it.‘Daisy will call’, he just believed for no reason. He moved the telephone around the swimming pool, for fear that he might miss her call. He believed that everyone was as kind as he. He believed in the diming green light.
At the same time, “the great Gatsby” is also an irony. The narrator Nick
Carraway who hardly ever commented on anybody else said that Gatsby were worth the whole damn bunch put together. The people around Gatsby, including Tom
Buchanan, Daisy, Meyer Wolfshiem spotlighted his greatness: he treated everyone well when he was alive, but ridiculously no one except Nick would like to attend his funeral. All of the charge was born by him, but in fact he never did one of them. He was the only good man, also the only punished man. What an irony. American dreams were broken just like fragile bubbles along with Gatsby’s lonely death. Millions of teenagers were making themselves another Gatsby, charged with
ambition, diligence, love, honesty ,hope, dream, but they inevitably ended up dying miserable.