Discuss Gatsby’s Character as Nick Perceives Him Throughout the Novel. What Makes Gatsby ‘Great’?

Discuss Gatsby’s character as Nick perceives him throughout the novel. What makes Gatsby ‘great’?

In Scott F. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway’s perception of Jay Gatsby evolves as he learns more about his personality and secrets from the past. Throughout the novel Nick’s opinion of Gatsby changes frequently from an elite upper class snob that spends and shows off his money lavishly to impress others, to a lonesome man haunted by his past; his corrupt dream of wealth is motivated by an incorruptible love for Daisy Buchanan.

In the beginning of the chapter Nick somewhat resents Gatsby and disapproves his lifestyle, he sees him as the representation of “…everything for which I have unaffected scorn.”- He snobbishly prejudges Gatsby to be everything he despises the most in life, rich folk. However, as events develop and Gatsby is no longer the enigmatic man next door, Nick views him in an admirable light; he is particularly taken back by his dream of true love to attain the already married Daisy Buchanan. Though Nick recognises his flaws and perplexing perception on life, he finds Gatsby equally endearing and charming -“there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life… it was an extraordinary gift of hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again”. Nick seems to be completely in aura of him; just as Daisy was when they first met. Gatsby seems to expel a powerful presence so compelling that Nick feels he has never met anyone quite as rare and enthralling as him in his life.

Furthermore, he also seems to frown at Gatsby's excess and lack of manners, and then again later on in the novel he admires, even romanticizes, Gatsby as heroic. In chapter three we learn that Gatsby’s throws excessively extravagant parties every weekend at his mansion. Nick finds this aspect of Gatsby very intriguing as he throws parties at which he knows...