Great Gatsby Essay Plan - character essay

“A character which engaged your sympathy …”

Introduction
The protagonist of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald is an example of a character who engages our sympathy because he has romantic ideals, even though he lives in a jaded, cynical world.
• Brief plot summary
• Setting – affluent New York, in contrast to the Midwest where Nick is from

First impressions

Nick’s first impressions of Gatsby and his materialistic life come at the start of the novel. At this point, I didn’t feel sympathetic towards Gatsby as he gives the impression of wealth and charm. The first things Nick hears and sees of Gatsby’s world are the lavish parties at his mansion:

There was music coming from my neighbour’s house …

• Gatsby is seen through Nick’s eyes – he is a friend who admires him, and this engages the reader’s sympathy
• Self-made man – changed his name and made a fortune; has links to organised crime through Meyer Wolfsheim
• Gave lavish parties to people he didn’t really know, his rich neighbours; this might make him seem fake, rather than powerful

Gatsby and Daisy

Yet even though he has invented a ‘persona’ for himself, Gatsby is still a romantic, idealistic figure, and his relationship with Daisy is one of the most important in the book. This makes him seem more human and shows that, even though his is a millionaire, he has ordinary feelings. This is shown in the chapter where Nick sees him get ready for his meeting with Daisy:

Gatsby, in a white flannel suit …

• Shows his materialism; likes expensive clothes to impress people
• Also shows his romanticism – desire to win Daisy back for good
• Met when he was a young man working as a diver; created his wealthy life in order to win Daisy over
• He is clearly better than Daisy’s cynical, cheating husband Tom
Gatsby and Tom

However, the book ends in tragedy, for Gatsby will never be accepted by the ‘old Aristocracy’ of the town. Although the reader might not approve of the ruthless, and possibly criminal way Gatsby got to the top, it is clear that Tom is just as amoral:

“No, he doesn’t”, said Tom coldly. “And if you feel that way about it…

• This contrast shows Gatsby in a better light
• Symbolism of ‘Ash valley’ – the materialistic, godless world they live in, ruled by people like Tom

The climax – feelings at the end

The outcome of the book is that Daisy stays with Tom and Gatsby dies young. I felt a sense of waste that he died for no reason, and that his dreams were unfulfilled.
• The climax - Gatsby’s murder: Gatsby was too naïve for the world of cheating and betrayal that he tried to live in
• Gatsby was finally crushed by the class system – he underestimated Daisy’s devotion to Tom, who came from a wealthy background
• After his murder his neighbours do not attend his funeral – he has failed to become one of them

Conclusion

Therefore I would argue that Gatsby is a character who engages the reader’s sympathy, even though he has amassed his money and influence through selfish and immoral business dealings. In some ways, he is too ‘noble’ for the spoilt upper class milieu which he is desperate to be a part of, and this gives the novel its tragic climax.