Examples Of Reinvention In The Great Gatsby

Self-Reinvention in the Great Gatsby Self-Reinvention: The act of reinventing or changing oneself, this means, changing ones’ personality, social status, and past. One person who reinvented himself was none other than the Great Gatsby. Gatsby is an obvious example of self-reinvention, especially when he tells Nick about his real story. Another person who reinvented himself is the narrator Nick. Nick is the less obvious example of self-reinvention; however, he still undergoes a self-reinvention process. Self-reinvention is one of the main themes in The Great Gatsby. In this book, the author is trying to show the reader that self-reinvention doesn’t always turn out the way one expected. He shows this by giving us the examples of Nick and Gatsby.

He was a no body who made something of himself. Gatsby came from a poor family from North Dakota. At the age of 17, James Gatz, chose to change his life around. He changed his name to Jay Gatsby when he “witnessed the beginning of his career,” when the opportunity came up to be with Dan Cody on his yacht (Fitzgerald 104). This, is where and when Gatsby’s self-reinvention process began. Dan Cody taught him many things about being rich. “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people…the truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself…so he invented the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent...” (Fitzgerald 104). What this quote is mainly talking about is that Gatsby didn’t come from the most well off family, nor did he think he was going to go anywhere as James Gatz so, he reinvented his whole being. He changed his image, his backstory, and even his name. Gatsby has the most major reinvention of the book, which is expected since the book is about his

Nick, the narrator, also goes through a little self-reinventing journey. Nick didn't see himself doing what his family did so he did a little self-reinventing and found another route for himself to take. Nick comes from a wealthy family, but he didn't want to carry on his life with his family business, he went to the military and afterwards he wanted to go into the bonds business. ( Reed 7). Nick didn't see himself doing what his family did so he did a little self-reinventing and found another route for himself to take. According to Nick’s fathers’ logic, people with money are advantaged and exempt from criticism, but with the critical change Nick went through, having money, doesn’t bring about decency (good manners, civility, etc.). Nick’s father thought that those without shouldn’t be criticized however, Nick understands that this doesn’t happen because those with money don’t really have good