The "Great Gatsby" is essentially about the rise and fall of the American Dream, and what meaning that held for Gatsby. It is also about how the American Dream is seen by Gatsby, not to obtain something materialistic, money, but to reach a goal not in keeping at all with what the American Dream stands for. For him the American Dream is a vehicle toward his goal.
The greatness of "Gatsby" can be explored through a variety of viewpoints. One can compare his successes and failures and then weigh them up, or look at how he should be remembered and discuss whether that is as a "Great" person.
What made Gatsby "Great"? The failures of Gatsby seem to be totally outweighed by his successes in all aspects of the words, but it is not the case. For example, his parties, which appear to encompass his whole life, are rarely attended by himself, the host; he even says it himself at his first meeting with Nick, "I'm afraid I'm not a very good host."
The American Dream, New Jersey 1991
The Statue of Liberty front shot, on Liberty Islan...
My American DreamHow can a man who fails to attend and host his own parties really be "Great"?
Gatsby had a name, his name to the people was "the guy behind the parties", and he had no foundation of friendship with anyone at any of his parties; that's why when he dies few people turn up to his funeral. This indicates that the opinion of Gatsby changes throughout the text. Possibly from good to bad, he is destroyed by his love for Daisy.
The secret to Gatsby's apparent "greatness" is not in his success, but in his overcoming of the American Dream. Gatsby is an American but as I have already stated what the American Dream means to him is something totally different. The wealth that the...