“the Poor Son-of-a-Bitch” Is Gatsby Truly Great?

Jay Gatsby is an interesting and enigmatic character who is at once the embodiment of extravagant 1920s society, and the protagonist in a complex love story. He is referred to as “great”, but whether or not he deserves this title is rather unclear, for there are many rumours and uncertainties surrounding both him and his past. These, as well as the themes of illusion and appearance in contrast to reality, are several reasons for which we are unsure as to who ‘Jay Gatsby’ really is. From the very beginning of the novel, Gatsby’s life is shown to be an illusion. His house, which is a “factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy”, though magnificent, is not old or historic like Tom’s colonial Georgian mansion- in fact, it is “spanking new”. This is one of the first examples of ‘empty wealth’; though Gatsby is tremendously rich and throws extraordinary parties, he does not have the qualities needed to be a true member of those with “old money”, because he does not come from a wealthy, prestigious background. He does not belong to the upper class, which would not be a problem except for the fact that class cannot be bought. He is, nevertheless, an example of the American Dream: he is wealthy, owns extensive lands, and could lead an unimaginably luxurious lifestyle. He does not, however, do this. He rarely makes the most of his own wealth. For example, he hardly ever attends his own parties, and his shirts, which are expensive, are neatly folded away in a cupboard, almost as though he never wears them. He made his fortune bootlegging, and yet never seems to be drinking. He has a whole library of books, but he never reads them, and hasn’t made use of his own swimming pool “all summer”. He only suggests such activities to Nick because he wants him to arrange a meeting with Daisy. His wealth and possessions are only really an outward show, and a means to an end-