Final answer:
James Gatz and Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby', represent the same character with shared ambitions but differ in their origins and methods of pursuing their dreams. Gatz is the obscure past of Gatsby, a portrayal of transformation and ambition reflective of the 1920s American dream and its associated disillusionment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character James Gatz and his alter ego Jay Gatsby are central to the narrative of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. In examining these two sides of the same character, we see significant similarities and differences. Both Gatz and Gatsby embody the relentless pursuit of dreams and the transformation of self. Gatz is the real name of the man who would reinvent himself as Jay Gatsby, the wealthy and enigmatic figure at the center of the novel's social world.
The primary similarity is their shared ambition; both characters are determined to rise above their humble origins and attain a position of wealth and status. They are dreamers, aspiring to a life that seems just out of reach. However, the differences become evident in how they go about achieving their dreams. James Gatz was the poor, young man with little to his name, while Jay Gatsby is the persona he crafted, a man of wealth and mystery living in West Egg, throwing lavish parties in the hopes of rekindling a lost love.
In Fitzgerald's writing, we see that although Gatsby's story is unique, there is a universal quality to his rise and fall: the relentless pursuit of an American dream and the inevitable disillusionment that follows. Gatsby's transformation is a testament to the era he lives in—the Roaring Twenties—where self-made men were common, yet each had their own story. In this sense, the literary creation of James Gatz and Jay Gatsby is a reflection of Fitzgerald's own views on wealth, identity, and the illusory nature of the American dream.