The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that depicts the American Dream; however, the American Dream cannot be established without running over a few people in the process. Gatsby the protagonist of the novel is known to deceive others and himself; however, his lies are not meant to hurt anyone. Gatsby is lost in his desire to be rich and have Daisy’s love, and in his desire forgets about how his actions may harm others. In addition, Gatsby only wanted to be more than his parents who were “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” (98). Gatsby’s deception goes as far as fabricating who he is, his financial standing in the past; including how he makes his money, lying to Daisy, and allowing others to tell rumors about himself. From an early age Gatsby was obsessed with self-improvement. His father even shows Nick the book in which held Gatsby’s schedule for self-improvement. Gatsby wanted to be more than what he already was. When Gatsby changed his name, he was not doing it to hurt anyone. Gatsby only wanted his name to …show more content…
Whenever asked the question on how Gatsby maked his money, he would always answer that he built up a few drugstores and when his parents died he inherited money. Gatsby was never telling the truth about this; and Tom eventually figured this out. Gatsby wanted to appear as old money to impress Daisy which is why he lied. However, the reason why Gatsby never told the truth about how he made his money was because he was making his money illegally. In chapter seven, Tom accuses Gatsby of being a bootlegger, “He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter” (133). Gatsby was wrong to deceive others about how he made a living, however, it is understandable why he lied about
This given piece of information makes it clear that Jay Gatsby has created a series of lies in order for him to be someone he is truly not. Which places Gatsby in a network of lies, as everyone is in a constant question about who he really is. It gets to the point where people start to rumour and create lies about Gatsby themselves for example, “I don’t think it’s so much that,” argued Lucille skeptically; “it’s more that he was a German spy during the war. Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once... It’s more that he was a German spy during the war..
At least Gatsby is being honest about the fact that he did something wrong. He is admitting it, therefore he know that it was illegal. Now, the readers know how he really earned his living. In this day and age, everyone relies on technology.
Gatsby has spent numerous years trying to authenticate to Daisy, and the populace around him, that he is worthy of her. If Mr. Gatsby were to give that up now, he would lose what he feels is his entire life. Since this is not possible, he has to contend to convince to others that he truly is old money rather than old money. Due to this, he has consumed his life around her and refuses modify his ways. “‘ Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly.”
“He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong.” In this paragraph Tom revealed Gatsby’s crime saying that Gatsby was doing illegal stuff, such as drugs and alcohol to make money. Gatsby is trying to become rich faster so he can be with Daisy because since her parents would rather have Daisy marry a rich man.
Gatsby being dishonest makes him stupid because dishonesty is not right. First he was dishonest about his original name. On page 104 it said that his original name was James Gatz. He should of told someone about it if he truly was comfortable with them.
Gatsby’s “Greatness” Greatness is showed by the choices we make in life. From how we see the circumstances and how we react to them. Gatsby is not as great of a man as Nick claims that he is. Gatsby makes foolish, childish and delusional decisions and not at all great.
Firstly, Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy led to his successes that eventually led to failures of money. Gatsby understands winning over Daisy he must impress her with money. Therefore, he starts illegal affairs (bootlegging) to become rich. Gatsby wanted to become rich enough so Daisy can love him and want to be with him. This quote for example shows that, “The one on my right was a colossal affair by a standard-it was a factual imitation of some hotel de ville in Normandy with a tower on one side spanking new under a thin beard of raw in, and a marble swimming pool, and more than…”(pg.11).
Gatsby puts on a facade and tells everyone that he inherited his money, but in reality Gatsby has other means by which he earns his money for the sake of Daisy. He stoops to a level that shows that he has no care for his morals and he will go to any extent if it means making Daisy happy and earning money. He commits multiple crimes including buying “side-street drug-stores in Chicago and [selling] grain alcohol over the counter” (Fitzgerald 133). He doesn’t care about getting in trouble with the law because he is no longer living for himself, and it seems like he is only living for Daisy, who embodies the wealthy lifestyle Gatsby has wanted his whole life. Gatsby got rich out of a sense of “desperation and crazy hopefulness, out of refusing to get over a broken heart and give up the love of his life” (Voegeli).
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald, the wealthiest people want to be wealthier and achieve The American Dream. People use others to get ahead and lie to keep secrets hidden, and deceit to get what they want. The use of deceit and lying completely obliterate and corrupt the American Dream. People might use others to get ahead to fulfill their dream using deceit; which is not the proper way to fulfill the American Dream. Gatsby wants to make a positive impression on Nick, since he wants to take advantage of him to get to Daisy once again, “His smile understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you just as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of
His name changed from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby early on in his pursuit of the American dream. This name change was a fresh start for Gatsby. Along with his name he changed his past, telling Nick he came from money in
Although his early grasp for wealth was honest work, his second chance is the opposite. “He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter” (p 133). During the time that The Great Gatsby was written, there was a prohibition on alcohol. A way that some would make a large sum of money was by bootlegging, which is the making and selling of illegal items, particularly alcohol. This is where some of Gatsby’s wealth comes from, but much of his money comes from the stolen bonds that he sells.
The Great Gatsby presents its characters as having living the American Dream. However, it is only a belief; the behaviors they have and decisions they take only leave them with a false perception of life and lifestyle. The Great Gatsby relates to the corruption of the American Dream for those materialistic people who were after money. Fitzgerald reveals the idea of corruption in the American Dream through conditions such as wealth and materialism, power and social status, and relationships involving family and affairs. He uses examples of this corruption to show the reader that people are willing to lie, betray others, and commit crime to be able to live a ‘better and fuller’ life.
I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I 'm not in either one now’” (Fitzgerald, 103). While this statement does not specifically imply illegal activity, one can assume Jay Gatsby gained money from any business in a way that was immoral. He chose to forget about conducting business ethically in order to climb the social ladder.
Gatsby doesn’t really show what he really is to the public, and that makes him a different person from what the others think of
While on the surface, Gatsby does have a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, it is not a virtuous one; he amasses his wealth through illegal channels by working with Meyer Wolfsheim, and never fulfills his dream, Daisy. Also, He changes his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby when he first encounters Dan Cody. Because Gatsby has to take on an entirely different persona to achieve success, disguising his poor upbringing and suggesting that James Gatz could never achieve the American dream. Gatsby first attempts to earn his financial success by performing menial labor for Cody, but when Cody’s ex-wife swindles Gatsby out of his inheritance, he turns to illegal means of getting rich. Not only does Gatsby illegally gain his wealth my selling grain liquor over the counter, but he also does so under the direction of Meyer Wolfsheim, breaking two essential qualities of the self-made man, virtue, and independence.