Question

Please answer this prompt

Some people consider Jay Gatsby to be the tragic hero of the story. Compare Gatsby to a modern day tragic hero. Use quotes from the novel to support your response.

Answer 1

Gatsby is an average man, although he may not appear to be at first. When Nick talks about Gatsby's past and states, "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent," he portrays Gatsby as an everyday man (Fitzgerald 95). Gatsby's parents are portrayed as "shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" in another occasion where his past is explored, demonstrating to readers that he was born into poverty and was just like everyone else. (Fitzgerald 95). He lacked a unique upbringing that gave him an edge over others and was not born into money or luxury.

This demonstrates that Gatsby's demeanor resembles any typical, immature boy. As the story goes on, Nick narrates Gatsby's past and calls him a "penniless young man," demonstrating to the reader that Gatsby is simply a regular guy with a huge goal. (Fitzgerald 141). This assertion helps put some of the masks of riches and imposing authority to rest and puts him in a more human context.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is a tragic hero because he displays the fundamental characteristics of modern tragic hero. He is a common man, he contains the characteristics of a tragic flaw, and he eventually has a tragic fall.

Although at first glance Gatsby might not seem to be the everyday man, in reality he actually is. At one point Gatsby's past is being examined and his parents are described as "shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" which shows the readers that he came from humble roots and was just like everyone else (Fitzgerald 95). He was not born into wealth and privilege and did not have any special background that gave him an advantage over others. Another instance in which Gatsby is portrayed as the average man is when Nick is discussing Gatsby's past and he says, "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent"(Fitzgerald 95). This shows that the persona that Gatsby has created for himself is that of any average, immature boy. As the novel progresses further you find Nick recounting Gatsby's past and describing him as being a "penniless young man" which again shows the reader that Gatsby is really just the common man with a big dream (Fitzgerald 141). This statement helps take away some of the disguise of wealth and overwhelming power, and brings him into a more human perspective.