Final answer:
Gatsby was not as Nick expected due to his enigmatic nature and mysterious past, despite his reputation and wealth. Nick learns that Gatsby's motivations and background are more complex than he initially thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character Jay Gatsby, as depicted in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, was not exactly as Nick Carraway expected him to be. Nick anticipated meeting someone who embodied the lavish and ostentatious lifestyle that Gatsby's wealth and grand parties suggested. However, Gatsby was enigmatic and his past was shrouded in mystery which continuously intrigued Nick. Gatsby's background was not that of the typical wealthy elite, as he was rumored to have gained his fortune through bootlegging, which added to his mysterious aura. An example from the novel illustrating this unexpected aspect of Gatsby is his profound longing for Daisy Buchanan, which is the hidden motivation behind his extravagant lifestyle. Nick's initial perceptions, heavily influenced by Gatsby's reputation, did not fully capture the complexity or the roots of Gatsby's character, as Nick later discovered.