Jay Gatsby (James Gatz)

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  • Created by: Lily
  • Created on: 22-04-13 18:14

Personality

Role

  • Mysterious, closed, noble, naive, passionate, generous, dishonest, criminalistic, brave, dreamer.
  • The mysterious and sympathetic secondary protagonist. He is a friend to Nick and a generous host to his guests. He is representative of the ideals of the 1920's American Dream and the image of the "self made man". He becomes Daisys lover and Toms stark rival.

Development (Growth & change)

Other information              

  • Born as James Gatz, a lower class solider who dropped out of college at an early age. He was young and innocent when he fell in love with Daisy Faye. After he went to War she rejected him over his poverty and social standing so he thrived to make himself like her.
  • The "self made man" which Nick falls in admiration for. Representative of the American Dream of the 1920's. Seen as charming, brilliant and trustworthy.
  • Exposed as a criminal and a liar. His entire world starts to fall apart around him, including his relationship with Daisy
  • Proves his morality and noble intentions when he protects the materialstic woman that rejected him twice over. Displayed as the true hero of the novel. A hero whose heroic intentions were exploited and corrupted by American society.
  • It was his indisputable love for Daisy and his inability to accept the passage of time that led to the circumstances of his death.
  • He represents the classic notion that all the money and power in the world still can't buy love. (his love being both Daisy and the position of the upper class)
  • Killed by a grotesque mirror image of himself. Wilson represents an acceptance and grief over the loss of a dream but Gatsby still cannot see the passage of time. Gatsby is therefore killed by reality, a dreamer cannot live if there is no dream.
  • Uses his wealth in his personal relationship as a defense mechanism aganist rejection. His bad experience with Daisy has caused him to become insecure, unsure if anyone could love him without his wealth and power.

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