Is Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald´s The Great Gatsby, a...

To decide whether Jay Gatsby is a good man or not, one must define what a ‘good man’ really is. Although it is an extremely vague and layered term, a ‘good man’ best fits the description of a man whose intentions are never meant to harm anyone. In addition, readers must remember that the Gatsby in the novel is Nick Carraway’s version, and that is a very biased version. Yet, based off of the events depicted in The Great Gatsby, I believe that Jay Gatsby is a good man. Gatsby is not formally introduced until chapter three, and due to his initial description, readers hold him in much higher regard than other characters in the novel. Nick introduces Gatsby in an extremely intriguing and flattering manner, saying, â€Å"He smiled understandingly –†¦show more content†¦Regardless of how one would go about arguing how Jay Gatsby is not a ‘good man’, he is undeniably an embodiment of the American dream. Born James Gatz to two poo r farmers in the Midwest, Gatsby’s â€Å"imaginations had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby †¦ sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God †¦ to this conception he was faithful to the end† (98). The notion of the self-made man alone is something that is honored within American society, and therefore, Jay Gatsby is an honorable person. Parallel to Benjamin Franklin, Gatsby envisioned the perfect man and left home with nothing in order to become that idealistic version of himself. Gatsby’s similarity to Benjamin Franklin is highlighted by Mr. Gatz with Gatsby’s childhood schedule seemingly based off of The Way to Wealth. Yet, being an honorable person alone does not make Gatsby a ‘good man’. What does make Gatsby a ‘good man’ though, is his outstanding selflessness. Despite the immense wealth he gains, Jay Gatsby is always trying to do things for others , such as asking Nick on his boat, or giving a random party-goer an entirely new dress after ruining their original dress at one of Gatsby’s parties. Even in the case of Gatsby doing Nick favors, Gatsby does not expect anything in return from Nick, but he does hope for a reconnection with Daisy. Part of what really makes Gatsby a ‘goodShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay1259 Words   |  6 PagesDickson 16 December 2016 THE GREAT GATSBY Was Gatsby truly great? In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald a storyline unfolds throughout the book describing different characters, events, and gives us a glimpse through the window of the author s life. The story takes place in the hot summer of 1922 where a charming young man named Gatsby tries to do everything he can in order to be reunited with a girl he has always loved. 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Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.† In The Great Gatsby, the narrator, Nick Carraway, reveals just about everything around him except for his own aspect on things. This passage was one of the few times that Nick actually gave his own opinion on the current matters that he had been swept up in, once he made the move from his hometow n in Minnesota to the luxurious village of West Egg. The quote, although masterly woven into the story’s