The invented identity of James Gatz, born the son of poor middle-western farmers, Gatsby "sprang from his Platonic conception of himself" Gatsby's beginnings occurred when the 17-year-old Gatz -- a clam digger and salmon fisher -- sees millionaire Dan Cody's yacht drop anchor on a dangerous stretch of Lake Superior. After rowing out to Cody on a borrowed row-boat and warning him that a coming wind might wreck his yacht, Cody employs Jay Gatsby in a "vague personal capacity" for several years. Later, Gatsby says he worked in the drugstore and oil businesses, omitting the fact that he was involved in illegal bootlegging. Though Gatsby has always wanted to be rich, his main motivation in acquiring his fortune was his love for Daisy Buchanan, whom he met as a young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917. Gatsby immediately fell in love with Daisy’s aura of luxury, grace, and charm, and lied to her about his own background in order to convince her that he was good enough for her. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in 1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford after the war in an attempt to gain an education.
Gatsby keeps his criminal activities mysterious throughout the novel, preferring to play the role of perpetually gracious host.Gatsby buys his West Egg mansion with the sole intention of being across the bay from Daisy Buchanan's green light at the end of her dock, a fantasy which becomes Gatsby's personal version of the American Dream. With an Oxford education as part of his invented persona, Gatsby ceaselessly uses his favorite phrase, "Old sport," throughout the novel.
Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.
In Chapters 1-5 it is apparent that Gatsby is hiding his true self behind his riches and in saying this I believe that his confidence level must be very low. He does not mingle with guests at his parties and is mostly alone. If he did not fell as if he had to or try to, live up to the expectations of others, he would feel confident with him self and wouldn’t mind letting those around him into his life. Because Gatsby is a complicated guy, his mysterious past is constantly questioned. Everyone is fascinated by the “Great Gatsby” and act as if they are friends, when in reality he is alone.
His story telling and constant need to party shows that he does not like to be alone and wants others to like him. His love to show off and indulge himself in expensive things shows that there is something missing in his life or something that he is hiding from others. People come to his parties, looking to have a good time, but overall question the man they know as Great. There are so many rumours about him that we as readers do not know what to believe. “I’ll bet he killed a man.” Page 45 is a good example of this because we have no idea if he has indeed killed someone or if his mysterious nature leads people to believe anything they hear.
Though he appears confident, when we are first introduced to him we see a side that could lead us to believe otherwise. His love of exaggerating the truth makes him an easy target for rumours and most question the little he has to say. “He looked at me sideways – and I knew why Jordan Baker has believed he was lying. He hurried the phrase ’educated at Oxford’, or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all.” Page 64 He plays everything off like it is no big deal but what does he really think? There is a carelessness about him that makes me wonder if he is trying to hide something.
We learn a few key things about his character and mannerisms. He is portrayed as a rich man with wealth, clothing, upper class housing and a luxurious lifestyle. He throws fabulous parties which are always the talk of the town where everyone merrily drinks and socializes. People love the Gatsby. Although people do love him, he tends to hide. He hides behind his riches and materialistic life. We later find out that he is shy. When he meets up with Daisy in chapter 5, we see a more reserved side to Gatsby. He is not the confident party thrower anymore. He is just a normal man, nervous and trying very hard to impress a woman. Again, he uses his money to show what he is worth. He shows off his lavishes to Daisy in hopes to buy her over, when really, he could just show off his courageous and strong persona. We begin to second guess Jay Gatsby and his contradictions by the end of the fifth chapter.
Yes, I sympathize with Gatsby. He based his entire life on a dream from the past and it wasn't what he believed it to be. Everything he did, he did for Daisy, but in reality he never knew the woman he wanted to badly and believed himself to be in love with. The Daisy he loved was an illusion.
