Great Gatsby. Time tells us that success often comes with a price. Often, money will create more problems than it can solve. The richness of a person’s soul can be hidden in the folds of money. Such is the case of Jay Gatsby. He is constantly altering in the reader’s mind due to the various puzzling events that transpire in the novel, creating a level of mystery.
First off, Gatsby is a man who feels secure in his privacy and allows very few people into his personal life due to a lack of trust. Jay often throws parties at his lavish house, only to shrink away from contact with his various guests who frolic in his privately funded bashes. He does not drink, mainly because he has a high level of composure that cannot be compromised by the effects of alcohol. When the narrator, Nick Carraway, is allowed to venture into Gatsby’s personal life, Gatsby tells Nick only what he feels is necessary to keep him from being suspicious. The eerie thing about this is that while doing this, he is so guarded that Nick often questions how concrete and truthful the information is. When discussing his past, Gatsby is choppy and uncomfortable telling Nick about his education and war experiences.
Only when Gatsby produces a metal of valor earned in the war does Nick believe in his war service stories. Even then, Nick has a hard time believing Gatsby’s educational background because of his uncomfortable declaration that he attended Oxford, a very prestigious English university. Trust is not a strong point of Gatsby’s makeup and lifestyle. Therefore, when looking at Gatsby’s most impressive traits, one thing that pops up is his energetic smile, vibrant personality, and loyalty to those whom he respects or cares about. It is important to mention the fact that Gatsby always seemed to make every person feel important and at ease while conversing with him. It was his nature to express courtesy to any guest he came in contact with, no matter how insignificant they were or what their occupation was.
As far as loyalty is concerned, it is best represented in his devotion to Daisy Buchanan. With his money and notoriety, he could have easily had numerous love opportunities. However, he sacrificed all openings for love as he stoked the coals trying to ignite a past flame with a married woman. Even when Jay and Daisy’s relationship was over in the reader’s mind, Gatsby still clung to a hope of having a life with her. He loyally stayed at her house until the wee hours of the morning, convinced her husband was a live wire that could erupt and physically punish his wife. He displayed this loyalty to a woman who is impossible to love anyone but who faces her in the mirror.
Furthermore, all the things that Gatsby had worked hard for ultimately abandoned him and led to his unfortunate death. Despite all the devotion he gave to Daisy, she couldn’t possibly love a man who was involved in shady business dealings or could possibly taint her impeccably clean appearance in society. The money he had accumulated and those who helped him accumulate it fell by the wayside after his death. Meyer Wolshiem, who claimed to have made Gatsby into the man he was, didn’t even attend his funeral. Neither did Daisy nor the numerous guests who roamed the grounds of his estate on numerous weekends.
What a shame to think of all the people who had benefited from Gatsby but did not attend his funeral, given the circumstances surrounding his wealth. The man, who was a mystery to so many and of profound mystique, died an untimely death, allowing others to continue their destructive lifestyles without consequence. Lastly, the Jay Gatsby that everyone caught glimpses of will always remain a mystery to many. His life was an example of the highs and lows of the American dream. The pitfalls and plateaus that he reached provide deep insight into the United States in the 1920s.
All of his character traits represented different things to different people, but ultimately led to his own tragic demise. It is heartbreaking for a life that has not yet been lived to the fullest to be extinguished.
