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  • Essay / A detailed study of the character of Jay Gatsby as depicted in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Jay Gatsby is a character full of mystery. Throughout the early chapters, many details about Gatsby remain unexplained. It is revealed that Gatsby was actually born into poverty and worked his way up from there. In chapter 6, Fitzgerald includes Gatsby's thoughts, particularly his idealism. Gatsby not only wants to get out of poverty, but he also wants to be on top of the world with his wealth. GatsbySay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To help describe Gatsby's idealism, Fitzgerald creates an image. Fitzgerald compares Gatsby's ambitions to a "secret place" "above the trees." These descriptions clearly show that Gatsby does not want to stay in the same social class, but to progress and become an elite. The book previously explains that Gatsby was at one point poor and that Daisy's family disapproved of him because he was poor. It might seem like Gatsby wants wealth so he can be with Daisy, but that is not the case. Fitzgerald creates the image of a ladder that connects Gatsby's desired secret place to the ground. Gatsby realizes that this ladder must be "climbed alone", meaning that he has no intention of taking Daisy with him. In this secret place, Gatsby has access to the “milk of incomparable wonder.” He does not intend to become just a rich person, but to become so rich that he touches the supernatural. Nick once described Gatsby as "the Son of God." This adequately describes Gatsby. He is a man, but at the same time his wealth is so vast that he is almost not human. Gatsby's motivations are clear, but the method Gatsby uses to get what he wants should be explored. Although he clearly wants to marry Daisy, he does not seem to love Daisy. Fitzgerald writes that he did not kiss Daisy until he had finished hearing a "tuning fork that had been struck upon a star." This language makes it seem like their kiss was not spontaneous, but planned. If their kiss was spontaneous, Gatsby wouldn't need to listen for any signs. Kissing has more meaning aside from just being a simple expression of love. Fitzgerald explains that this kiss “would forever unite his ineffable visions with his perishable breath.” Here, Gatsby thinks that in order to become rich, he must marry Daisy. He doesn't want her because he likes her personality or her company. He wants her because he has projected all his fantasies of a rich life onto her. Daisy comes from an elite home and Gatsby wants to be part of the elite. But Fitzgerald knows that Daisy will not be able to satisfy Gatsby, because Daisy's breath is described as "perishable" and Gatsby's visions are "inexpressible." After kissing Daisy, Fitzgerald says that "the incarnation was complete." The word incarnation means that a person embodies a deity. Works Cited: American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).Copyright.gov. (nd). Fair use. https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.htmlCreative Commons. (nd). About licenses. Digital Media Law Project. (2014). Fair use. https://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-useElectronic Frontier Foundation. (nd). Fair use. https://www.eff.org/issues/intellectual-property/fair-useFisher, WW (2003). Promises to keep: technology, law and the future of entertainment. Stanford Law Books, Harvard University. (nd). Copyright and Fair Use. Hirtle, P. B. (2020). Copyright term and public domain in the United States. Cornell University Library. Samuelson, P. (2011). Copyright and.