The Great Gatsby Character Essay Example

Our society has this unusual way of presenting multiple ideas of what perfection has to be, but each idea is a contradiction to itself. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, The Great Gatsby, the readers are introduced to a mysterious man that goes by the name Jay Gatsby. Mr. Gatsby is the perfect example of the torment individuals go through trying to obtain what they want but in the process having to fake who they are. Characters like Gatsby are arguably the most animated characters in the work; Gatsby’s internal conflictions are what enhance the novel as a whole. F. Scott’s Fitzgerald uses the novel to show the different social classes using the two towns, East Egg and West Egg. The East Egg is home to families with new money, they’re morality is hypocritical and narcissistic. On the other hand, Gatsby is a member of the West Egg community; he comes old money, but there’s much more to his character than meets the eye. Gatsby has quite a criminal background; he is associated with gamblers and is an illegal bootlegger. His criminal background is the consequence of the corrupt social classes. Stuck between a rock and a hard place Gatsby needed to keep his high and respected stature but without money he would have nothing. The other characters only get a glimpse of Gatsby during his grand and extravagant parties. But these parties are a hidden cry for help, he throws these parties because it allows society to know that he is still up there in the social classes, but it also pleases the girl he is irrevocably in love with, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is internally conflicted with the desire to be with this girl but also having to be this person who society will approve of. Gatsby not only has to fake it to make it, but has to make sure all this faking is getting him the girl of his dreams. Daisy and Gatsby has a long and forgotten history together but the most important detail is that Daisy leaves Gatsby because he no longer was her vision of perfection; he had lacked money.