The Not so Great Gatsby Essay Example

The Superficial Gatsby In the novel entitled The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is at times made out to be better than us. At first glance he is sophisticated, using big words and claiming that he is an “Oxford man.” But when we look closer we can easily see that this man is a farce. Much of this man has been shrouded in mystery. We know very little about his past until later in the book. We don’t know where he was born, who his parents are, or where all of his money came from. He frequently disappears form Nick’s view seemingly without a trace. All of these things make him out to be somebody of real importance but by looking closely we can gather an abundance of evidence to the contrary. We see that he is just a man looking for the lost love of his life, Daisy. He is a man looking for the American dream and when he does not find it, we see at last that he is just like the rest of us. The word great is somewhat vague in meaning. Whether someone is great or not often times depends on the person judging them. My personal beliefs as far as greatness are concerned are not very complicated. When I think of someone who is or was great, I think of Jackie Robinson, Louis Armstrong, and Albert Einstein. These are all people who affected the way we live and have changed our society as a whole for the better. My parents are great; my teachers are great, and my coaches are great. All of those people have a lot of influence directly over me and they are always changing me for the better. A truly great person has to make sacrifices and be very brave. Jackie Robinson was the first black person to enter the major leagues. To face the kind of racism that he faced and still perform the way he did is a feat hat I don’t think I could do. His bravery and grace under pressure has earned him a place among the greats. He is a wonderful example of greatness, and there are many more like him. Not everyone has the same kind of