Topic > A detailed character study of Jay Gatsby as depicted in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby is a character full of mystery. In the early chapters there are many details about Gatsby that 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, especially Gatsby's idealism. Gatsby not only wants to get out of poverty, but he also wants to be above the world with his wealth. GatsbySay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To describe Gatsby's idealism, Fitzgerald creates an image. Fitzgerald compares Gatsby's ambitions to a "secret place" that "is above the trees." These descriptions make it clear that Gatsby does not want to remain in the same social class, but rise and become an elite. The book explains earlier that Gatsby was poor at one point and Daisy's family disapproved of him because he was poor. It might seem that Gatsby wants wealth so he can be with Daisy, but this is not the case. Fitzgerald creates an image of a staircase that connects the secret place Gatsby wants to the land. Gatsby realizes that this ladder must be “climbed alone,” which means he does not intend to take Daisy with him. In this secret place, Gatsby has access to the “incomparable milk of wonders.” He does not intend to simply become a rich person, but to become so rich that he touches the supernatural. Nick has previously 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. It is clear what Gatsby's motivations are, but the method Gatsby uses to get what he wants should be explored. Although he clearly wants to marry Daisy, he does not appear 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 as if their kiss was not spontaneous, but planned. If their kiss was spontaneous, Gatsby wouldn't need to listen to any kind of sign. The kiss has more meaning outside of just being an expression of love. Fitzgerald explains that this kiss would "forever wed his unspeakable visions to his perishable breath." Here, Gatsby thinks that to become rich, he must marry Daisy. He doesn't want her because he loves her personality or her company. He wants her because he has projected into her all his fantasies of a rich life. Daisy comes from an elite family and Gatsby wants to be part of the elite. But Fitzgerald knows that Daisy will not be able to satisfy Gatsby, as Daisy's breath is described as "perishable" and Gatsby's visions are "unspeakable." 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. (n.d.). Correct use. https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.htmlCreative Commons. (n.d.). Speaking of licenses. Digital Media Bill. (2014). Correct use. https://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-useElectronic Frontier Foundation. (n.d.). Correct use. https://www.eff.org/issues/intellectual-property/fair-useFisher, W. W. (2003). Promises to keep: technology, law and the future of entertainment. Stanford Law Books.Harvard University. (n.d.). Copyright and fair use. Hirtle, P. B. (2020). Copyright and public domain term in the United States. Cornell University Library. Samuelson, P. (2011). Copyright and fair use in the digital age. Communications of the ACM, 54(9), 15-17.Copyright Office.