Essay Jay Gatsby The Tragic Hero in The Great Gatsby

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero character can be defined to be of noble status, but not necessarily virtuous. There is some aspect of his personality that he has in great abundance but it is this that becomes his tragic flaw and leads to his ultimate demise. However, his tragic ending should not simply sadden the reader, but teach him or her a life lesson. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is the tragic hero who portrays the corruption of the American dream through his tragic flaw. His devastating death at the end of the novel portrays the dangers of centering one’s life on money and other materialistic things and warns the reader not to follow his foolish steps. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of a tragic hero; his†¦show more content†¦She was a girl with wealth, connections and means—everything a seventeen-year-old boy could aspire to one day attain. It is this illusion that Gatsby falls in love with, not Daisy, and he dedicates his life to become a man that could parallel Daisy in both social status and wealth. â€Å"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.† (98) Though Gatsby appears to be blinded by material possession and unethical in his means to acquire it, Fitzgerald sets him up to be the hero of the novel by contrasting his virtue to the sea of corruptness and material greed that made up the ambitions of most young folks in the 1920s. True, he made his money through illegal means, but his incredible sense of loyalty is striking against the dishonest, scheming American society. In the novel, it is clear that Gatsby is unfailingly loyal to everyone he loves, from his father to Dan Cody to Daisy, who he dedicated â€Å"five years of unwavering devotion† (109) to, even if they were not loyal to him in return. The American Dream has always been based on the idea that each person, no matter who he or she is, can become successful in life by his or her own hard work. The dream, to desolate immigrants escaping an oppressive Europe, also embodied the idea of a self-sufficient man, an entrepreneur garnering success through his own hard work and ambition, notShow MoreRelated Jay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay974 Words   |  4 PagesJay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby According to Aristotle, there are a number of characteristics that identify a tragic hero: he must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. These are all characteristics of Jay Gatsby, the main character of Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby.   Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero according to Aristotles definition.  Ã‚   Jay Gatsby is an enormouslyRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby: A Tragic Hero1084 Words   |  5 Pages (Aristotle) The â€Å"tragic hero† is an indefatigable staple in all mediums of literature. Although the term’s defining characteristics have morphed since its initial inception by Aristotle those many millennia ago, the main idea has endured. To be a tragic hero, several requirements must be met. The formula begins with a character that possesses noble and admirable qualities. Then come imperfections to make him appear human and believable, and finally the tragic hero is completed when he experiencesRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1014 Words   |  5 Pagescan Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », isRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1023 Words   |  5 Pagesextent can Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », is JayRead More Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   Aristotle invented a list of criteria in an attempt to determine the exact definition of a tragic hero.   The list states the following - the tragic hero must cause his own down fall; the tragic heros fate is undeserved; the tragic heros punishment exceeds his crime; the tragic hero must be a great and noble person according to the standards of the current society.   In Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby can be defined as a tragic hero who possessesRead MoreThe Secret Life Of Jay Gatsby1632 Words   |  7 PagesThe Secret Life of Jay Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is meticulously written to portray characters as soul sucking, money thriving, moral lacking individuals who are thrashed by his language, and scrupulous descriptions. Gatsby is depicted as a suave, cordial, and prosperous gentleman who is trying to raise himself in the ranks of riches, and approval. At first glance, it is hard to tell if there is a clear hero, or someone with qualities thereof; at least in the traditional senseRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgeralds Personl Influences on The Great Gatsby1762 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.† (Fitzgerald, 1925). The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925, and takes place in 1922. The novel greatly exemplifies the time period that it takes place in, known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age†. One way of exemplification is prohibition and the Volstead Act. According to David J. Hanson from Potsdam.edu, the Volstead Act, which took place in 1919, establishedRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald The American Dream is the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to attain wealth through ones labours. On the surface, this dream seems almost enchanted, offering people the unique prospect of achieving success regardless of ones race, religion or family history. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an immortal illustration of the American Dream. Fitzgerald analysesRead MoreEssay Outline Introduction: ANT A=Attention Getter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great700 Words   |  3 PagesGetter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carroway, the narrator, has recently moved from the midwest to start his career in New York. He lives on the island of West Egg, next door to a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby. Nick becomes friends with him and learns that Gatsby is in love with his cousin Daisy. They never married because Gatsby had to go off into the military and he was not rich enough for her, so when Gatsby was shipped overseas, Daisy married anotherRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby1253 Words   |  6 PagesJay’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America is a land of opportunity and hopes and dreams can become reality. The American Dream consists of the notion that the struggling poor can achieve financial success through hard work. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, puts this premise to the test while also warning against the dangers of believing too passionately in any dream. The central character, Jay Gatsby, proves a tragic hero who succeeds financially but fails