The Great Gatsby, Is he really great? Options

[WickedDreamer]

So, my topic is: Is Gatsby really great and why or why not?

So, what do you think?

I think that he isn't great because although he did obtian his goal he did it immoraly. (Bootlegged, had an affair, showed off his money for the respect of people with 'old money.')

[innovation]

I think that the novel certainly portrays him as a great figure because of his capacity to dream and his inherent morality. However, his goals were essentially flawed in that he made them tangible (e.g. acquiring money, fame, and Daisy), thus defining his own limitations.

As Albert Einstein said:

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.

Gatsby's mistake in associating the purpose of his life to Daisy ultimately led to his demise because (a) his goal depended upon Daisy's response and reciprocity of love, rather than on himself, and (b) after he "got" Daisy, he remained dissatisfied because there was nothing else to aspire toward.