According to the book, Gatsby gained most of his wealth from participating in illegal activities. These activities soared Gatsby amongst some of the most powerful men in New York. The book is written in the viewpoint of Nick Carraway, who admires Gatsby. As a result, there are very few assertions about Gatsby’s actual job and the origin of his money. Gatsby is great because his affectation
amongst people thrills and almost blinds them, but when this affectation is exposed, Gatsby can easily be seen as the fraud that he is. In the latter part of the book, Tom Buchanan exposes Gatsby for being involved in bogus financial activities and bootlegging, thus causing Daisy to betray and eventually George Wilson to murder him. The aegis that was surrounding Gatsby was no longer present when his background was revealed. In addition, his involvement in bootlegging and financial systems more than likely caused the sufferings of many innocent individuals. Gatsby’s crimes is similar to a time bomb because it is bound to occur and lead to his demise. The path that Gatsby entered undoubtedly questions the validity of his greatness.
During the 1920s, there were many men who dreamed for big houses, fancy cars, and dazzling jewelry. In contrast to these men, Gatsby only dreamed of being with his lover, Daisy. Albeit Gatsby’s crimes taint his greatness, there is no doubt that he is a man worthy of acclamation. Gatsby’s great amount of passion, desire, and devotion is incomparable to any individual who lived during his time. Gatsby knew that he could not live his life with Daisy unless he acted upon quickly and gained vast sum of money. The sheer impulse of his desire and the limits that he pushed himself toward to attain his goal shows that Gatsby is great.
It is very easy to claim that Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby” is a great man due to his exceptional mindset, but in spite of this, his greatness is still subject to questions because of the crimes that he is involved with. Gatsby’s desire and overall passion towards Daisy makes him great, but the crimes associated with his name greatly soils this greatness.