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In The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, an extremely wealthy man lives in a town called West Egg. Right next to Gatsby s town lies East Egg, where most of its people have inherited all their money and riches and are very arrogant. The story is told through Nick who judges people throughout the book but makes a good narrator due to the fact that he is more of an observing kind of person and usually doesn t let his anger get the better of him. Gatsby, like many people in West Egg, works for his money and is considered a great man.
But realistically he really isn t due to the fact that he makes his money dishonestly and uses his greed and wealth to attract the woman of his dreams into living with him leaving behind her husband. When he dies it shows that he really doesn t have any friends other than Nick, most people used him for his extravagant parties or for money. He also lies greatly about his past telling many that he inherited it from his family. The title of the book is ironic because Gatsby is dishonest, lies and is not all that well liked. Gatsby lies all about his past to everyone he encounters. He claims that he inherited all his money when he actually had nothing to start with and worked his way towards his own success.
I thought you inherited your money. I did, old sport, he said automatically, but I lost most of it in the big panic the panic of the war. (Fitzgerald, p. 95) In a conversation with Nick, Gatsby answers automatically showing how quick he is to try and cover up what he was lying about. He says he was in the drug business and then the oil business. He in no way explains how things really are for him and Nick can sense that in his quick response of That s my affair. (Fitzgerald, p. 95) Gatsby doesn t show the virtue of greatness by the way in which he treats his friends. The word great can best be defined as markedly superior in character or quality. How would Gatsby fit this description if he lies about something as big as his past?
Gatsby is very dishonest in the way in which he goes about making his money. His associate is Meyer Wolfshiem, a gambler whom taught Gatsby many things. He s the man who fixed the World s Series back in 1919. (Fitzgerald, p. 78) Since Wolfshiem wrongly fixed something as huge as the World s Series it shows how big things that Gatsby and him are capable of doing. He s a bootlegger (Fitzgerald, p. 65) A lady reveals the secret of Gatsby s success to Nick. A bootlegger is someone who makes liquor illegally and sells it on the streets for high profit. Once again Gatsby does not fall under the meaning of great as what he does for a living is dishonest.
Gatsby is not all that well liked by anyone at all. He is very well known but lacks any real friendship with the exception of Nick. Everyone goes to his parties and for the most part makes him really look popular and liked. The only thing is most of the people that go to the parties have never spoken a word to him or don t even know what he looks like. We got up and she explained that we were going to find the host I had never met him, she said, and it was making me uneasy.
The undergraduate nodded in a cynical, melancholy way. (Fitzgerald, p. 49) A woman who has been to Gatsby s huge parties on more than one occasion has never even met him. This proves how people are towards him. They don t really have a personal friendship with him but use him for his parties. When Gatsby dies not many people come to attend his funeral at all.
Of course you ll be there yourself. Well I ll certainly try. What I called is about (Fitzgerald, p. 177) In a conversation that Nick had with a man, all he wanted was something he left at Gatsby s house back. He cared nothing about trying to make Gatsby s funeral to pay his last respects. Gatsby does not fall under being great as this book because he is not well liked something needed for greatness. Gatsby has many weaknesses for someone who is looked at throughout the book as a great person.
Although he has a magnificent house with many riches he didn t earn them fairly. He also got the girl of his dreams to be a part of his life leaving her husband behind. Someone of great character would not take something that would cause another person pain and suffering. Gatsby was a complete liar about his past and caused people to get the wrong idea about him.
Oddly enough the book was titled The Great Gatsby which when knowing the truth about him is proven wrong.
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