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The Great Gatsby, a la Shmoop. Throughout history, there have only been a

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handful of individuals who have been labeled “Great.” The Great Bambino…

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Alexander the Great…

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The Great Houdini…

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And the self-proclaimed Martin the Great, who lives in Pensacola, Florida and just thinks

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the world of himself. Of course, you can’t compile a list of the

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all-time “Greats” without also mentioning The Great Gatsby.

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So… who is this guy and what makes him great?

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Is it because he's a Rags to Riches kind of guy?

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Our friend Jay’s real name is James Gatz.

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James wasn’t thrilled about that “Z” in his name… back in those days, it was

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an indicator that you were probably a foreigner…

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…and foreigners weren’t exactly embraced in New York back then.

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Because James didn’t think his real name would allow him to go very far in life, he

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decided to take action and name himself.

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So as soon as he became legal, he went down to his local DMV, changed his name, and became…

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Jay Gatsby, swanky bootlegger from West Egg…

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…working hard for his money by illegally selling alcohol. And profiting immensely from

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his shady dealings.

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Okay, so maybe the way he got there wasn’t the most…legal…but still, the fact that

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he achieved what he did at all was pretty…great. Wasn’t it?

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Or perhaps his greatness has more to do with the idea that Gatsby was able to completely

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reinvent himself. Most of us human beings make an effort to

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avoid change in our lives.

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After all, bubbles are a safe place to be.

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But some individuals strive to break the mold…

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…to reboot their identities.

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As a certified mold-breaker, Gastby rejected the notion of settling.

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So he decided to risk life and limb to break out of his shell of anonymity.

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It took courage, and cojones, and an unremitting desire to improve his standing in society.

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But a discussion of Gatsby’s greatness wouldn’t be complete without bringing up the “L”

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word…

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Specifically, Gatsby’s love of Daisy.

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Wrong daisies. Point being, none of Gatsby’s millions mean anything to him if he can’t have the hand

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of the woman he loves.

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In fact, the sole reason he raised himself up from nothing in the first place was to

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win her heart. Because love was Gatsby’s motivating factor

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in accumulating his millions, it allows us to look at him in a different light.

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He wasn’t spurred on by greed, or by a desire to exert control over others.

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Instead, it is Gatsby’s capacity for love, and his proven willingness to sacrifice his

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own life for someone else’s, that demonstrates his greatness. To Nick, at least.

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And to the two other people who show up at his funeral. Since Fitzgerald never tells us where Gatsby’s

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greatness is derived from, it seems we are free to speculate.

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So… whatcha speculatin’?

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Is Gatsby great because of his rags to riches story?

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His ability to reinvent himself?

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Or what he was able to accomplish in the name of love?

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Shmoop amongst yourselves…

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