What’s Up With the Title?

For such a short title, The Great Gatsby can be interpreted in a couple different ways. Is Gatsby great? Or is Fitzgerald being ironic? Let’s break it down.

The way we see it, there are three ways to read the title. First, there’s the surface level of Gatsby’s persona. He’s one of the wealthiest people on Long Island, and definitely one of the wealthiest in West Egg. He’s got a mansion loaded with the nicest, most expensive stuff and a great car. And his parties... oh the parties. Each would be qualify as a legendary event in itself, and he hosts at least one every weekend. He gives all of his guests first-class treatment, even though he doesn’t really know any of them.

Gatsby is a local celebrity, and everyone has a theory about how he’s gotten to be so wealthy. In short, everyone seems to know his name and is endlessly interested in his life. So in that way, he’s, well, "great." Great in that he seems to live a dream-like existence. He briefly even wins back the girl of his dreams – and therefore achieves his ultimate goal – even if Daisy only sticks around short time.

Then there’s the second way of looking at Gatsby: his dream-like life is a sham. He rises to the top of society in a dishonest way; he’s earned his fortune through illegal activities. The "old money" folks see right through his appearance. He’s not upper class to them – he’s a phony. When everyone figures out the truth behind his rise to "greatness," their adoration of him crumbles. All those friends of his turn out to simply be people who take advantage of his generosity and riches. None of them even bothers to show up for his funeral, except for the owl-eyed man. In this way, Fitzgerald’s title seems more ironic than literal.

But then there’s a third way of looking at that adjective. Although Nick is disgusted with the means Gatsby has used to achieve his dream, Nick sees that he’s truly driven by a noble emotion: love. In that way, Gatsby’s willingness to do whatever necessary to win back Daisy seems honorably romantic. Also, Nick believes that Gatsby is truly a good person; the man is generous, loyal, and sincere. In this way, Gatsby is great. Nick sees Gatsby as a victim of Tom and Daisy’s selfish, shallow addiction to their wealth and lifestyle. Nick empathizes with Gatsby’s inability to break down class barriers and earn the respect of the upper class. In the end, Nick sides with Gatsby and is infuriated with the way he was treated.

All things considered, do you think that Gatsby is great? Check out Gatsby's "Character Analysis" for more of our thoughts on him and his "greatness."