The Not So Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

The Superficial Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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 standard for greatness as I do. Another part of being great is growing up from an impoverished background. Some people, like the two kids who murdered thirteen kids at Littleton High, think that Hitler was a great man. Some people think that Stalin and Milosevic are great. These dictators did not rise to power without support from other people. People fought and died for these tyran... ...s life by loving her and doing the best he could to get her back. Daisy's problem is that she is pushed around a little too easy and just like that she seemingly forgets everything between Gatsby and herself. But being a great person is more than just those few things. Being a great person means being great and living up to that standard for most of your life. Most really great people continue to meet the standard of being great for a long time. That is part of what makes them so great. Jay Gatsby has turned his past life in to a fraud. Jay Gatsby who, for his own purposes, would break up a marriage. These are not traits of a truly great man.Then we come to the question: Why? Why would Fitzgerald name the book 'The Great Gatsby?'; I believe it is because Nick is the narrator and does see him as great. When I was finished reading this novel I did not come off thinking not thinking 'wow that man was really great.'; I came off thinking (among other things) 'wow that title is not acc urate'; because there is an abundance of evidence to the contrary even when it is presented by a narrator that thinks he is great. I believe that is what Fitzgerald wanted us to think (among other things).