Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero Essay

Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero 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 possesses all of the aforementioned traits. Jay Gatsbys main desire in life is to become a member of high society, respected more than anyone else. Gatsby has taken steps to ensure that this desire becomes a reality. He has†¦show more content†¦He came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor (79). Nick realizes Gatsbys estate, parties, shirts and other seemingly purposeless possessions are not purposeless. Everything Gatsby does, every move he makes and every decision he conceives is for a reason. He wants to achieve his ideal, Daisy. Gatsbys purposeless splendor is all for the woman he loves and wishes to represent his ideal. Furthermore, Gatsby believes he can win his woman with riches, and that his woman can achieve the ideal she stands for through material influence. Gatsby believes in The Great American Dream, for that is where the basis for his ideal originated. Later, the concept develops into an obsession with money and more so, Daisy. Gatsbys tragic flaw lies within his inability to see that the real and the ideal cannot coexist. Gatsbys ideal is Daisy. He sees her as perfect and worthy of all his affections and praise. In reality she is undeserving and through her actions, proves she is pathetic rather than honorable. When Daisy says Sophisticated-God Im sophisticated (18), she contradicts who she really is. The reader sees irony here, knowing she is far from sophisticated, but superficial, selfish and pathetic. Gatsbys vision is based on his belief that the past can be repeated, cant repeat the past? Why of course you can (111)! The disregard for reality is how GatsbyShow 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 MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. 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