The Great Gatsby Identity

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald contains a complex storyline with many complex characters to support it. The character Gatsby is painted as a grand aspect of the book from the moment the title is read. Gatsby has an aspect of mystery in which the gossip circulating about him only helps his cause, as it provides other people with a desire to discover who he truly is. Despite inheriting enough money to live off of, he is faced with hardships in regards to finances being a bootlegger and being in love with a woman who can only marry someone who is wealthy. As Gatsby builds sympathy with the audience, he is viewed as a character deserving of compassion and understanding for the struggles he goes through. Gatsby’s true identity is seen through
the eyes of Nick, who is viewed as an honest, reliable narrator. Gatsby maintains mystery with the reader and with Nick, building suspense and giving the reader a hunger to find out who Gatsby really is.
Early in the book, Nick sees him stretching “out his arms toward the ark water in a curious way”...”and [Nick] distinguished nothing except a single green light” ( Fitzgerald 26). Although the audience is unsure of why Gatsby would be reaching for a light, they can assume Gatsby will have an envious or jealous quality to his personality. The color is also known to represent money, which is a major theme throughout Gatsby’s life. Gatsby is also known for not only being mysterious towards Nick and the audience, but to other characters within the novel. After Gatsby sends a woman whose dress was torn at one of his parties, a woman agrees “there’s something funny about a fellow that’ll do a thing like that. He doesn’t want trouble with anybody” (48). Gatsby remains mysterious with the group of women gossipping about him, but they infer he does not want trouble after hearing of his actions. When the women continued chatting, it was admitted that “someone told [her] they thought he killed a man once” (48). This shows the mystery
Gatsby maintains until he finally clears the air with Nick. Gatsby enjoys the gossip and attention he receives, as it gives him a sense of belonging in a social setting. The first time Gatsby and Nick spend time together, Gatsby admits that he was “aware of the bizarre accusations that flavored conversation in his halls”, before Gatsby tells Nick “God’s truth” about who he really is (69). Gatsby has maintained this mystery with so many people who would attend his parties that Nick is surprised when Gatsby opens up to him. After hearing about Gatsby coming from a wealthy family going to Oxford, Nick has a hard time believing Gatsby as he rushed his phrases and struggled to get the words out. Gatsby continues being mysterious as it provides him a path to make people think he is closer to them than he actually is. Daisy is a big part of Gatsby’s identity, despite him being so private about it towards anyone who is not Nick.
Gatsby had been in love with Daisy for years, as she had promised to wait to marry him when he got back from the war. Gatsby did not have much money at the time so Daisy thought it would be best for her to marry Tom instead despite her meltdown on her wedding night when she wants Tom to know that “Daisy’s change’ her mine” about marrying Tom (81). Despite her going through with the wedding, it is clear that she is still in love with Gatsby as she nearly backed out the night before she was to be married. Gatsby eventually inherited lots of money as he s “the on of some wealthy people in the middle-west -- all dead now” (69). Daisy’s unwanted marriage would have been prevented had she known that Gatsby would have been well off. By the time Gatsby and Daisy finally admit their feelings for each other, Nick assumes that “there must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams -- not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (101). Nick assumes that after five years, Gatsby must have made Daisy someone who she is not in his head. While this is possibly true, it helps Gatsby and Daisy to be together as Gatsby has such a longing desire for her. His love for her was only expressible when he had the money to support
her. Gatsby can be seen throughout the book drawing from people’s emotions to build a reputation for himself, with Daisy and the people attending his parties. The complexity of the situation he is in with Daisy only adds to the fact that he will go out of his way to find a way to get people talking about him. When Daisy marries someone else despite her promise to marry Gatsby, Gatsby buys a house across the bay from her so he does not lose hope in what could happen between them. Gatsby’s hopefulness is what ultimately gives him the strength to get through losing Daisy.