How Great Is The Great Gatsby Great?

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What are your feelings about Fitzgeralds description of Gatsby as ‘great’? Support your answers with details from the novel. The portrayal of Gatsby as ‘great’ in the novel is done through the way the American Dream is presented. He embodies it, the ambition he has and the focus and dedication he kept to in hope of achieving his life long dreams and goals. You sympathise with Gatsby as he spends his life chasing a woman who ultimately, when it comes down to it, chooses class and stability over love. A key symbol in the novel is the ‘green light’. It symbolises Gatsby’s dream of rekindling his love and reuniting with Daisy. As there is a ‘single’ light this emphasises the fact that he has only one sole dream and has focus would remain on that. Everything he earned and accomplished in life was ultimately in aid of this dream, and he must be respected for sticking to his dream, and persevering. He often came close and his persistence is commended. He hadn’t seen Daisy for over 5 years and his love for her is still overwhelming where he is physically reaching out and ‘stretched out his arms’ trying to grab her.…show more content…
Nick compliments Gatsby, once he is dead, and in fact this is the only time he ever did compliment him. He says Gatsby was ‘wroth the whole damn bunch put together.’ By this compliment it makes you ponder as to whether Gatsby viewed the other man that showed an interest in Daisy as competition. Perhaps winning over Daisy’s heart was a way of proving his worth to others, but also him, and this makes the reader question his motives for loving Daisy. Class influences his love and his feelings for Daisy and furthermore it should be questioned if due to these delusions he is even aware that class affected the pull of his

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