Jay Gatsby

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good friend’s advice, he ignored him and continued trying to persuade Daisy to leave Tom and be with him instead. Unfortunately, Gatsby failed in his goal and it ended up costing him his life. Another weakness Jay Gatsby demonstrated was his habit to lie in order to maintain his reputation. In the beginning of the book, none of the characters knew anything about Gatsby which led to many rumors being started about him. For example, some people accused him of being a German spy, an Oxford grad, or even a murderer. It wasn’t until Nick truly gets to know Gatsby that he learns of Gatsby’s true past as a poor farm boy and his rags to riches story as a bootlegger. It’s honorable that he wants to impress Daisy, but he shouldn’t be stubborn and lie in order to accomplish his goal.

Gatsby’s goal throughout much of the book was to win back Daisy Buchanan. He works his entire life to become wealthy thinking that if he can show her that he’s become rich they will end up together and she will leave her husband and child. When they finally meet, Nick realizes that Gatsby isn’t in love with Daisy herself but the idea of Daisy. Gatsby shows Daisy all his expensive belongings in an effort to tear her away from her husband, Tom. When she sees Gatsby’s shirts, she begins to cry as she realizes that she could have had both money and love if she had waited for Gatsby instead of marrying Tom. Although it’s possible that they might have ended up together, it would not have lasted long. Tragically, Gatsby ends up dying at the hands of George Wilson who’s avenging the death of his wife who he believes was killed by Gatsby (though in reality, it was Daisy that killed her).

Gatsby worked his entire life to try and attain the American dream. His specific dream was to be with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby took advantage of all the opportunities given to him in order to acquire wealth which he believed would help him attain his goal and persuade Daisy to leave Tom. However, his stubbornness, in the sense that he was chasing an impossible dream, prevented him from achieving his dream and he tragically died in the process.