~January 11, 2022~
The definition of a hero depends on the individual. To me, a hero is a person who is willing to climb mountains and swim oceans, sacrificing themselves for their loved ones. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby defines what it means and what it takes to be a hero. Gatsby's obsession with Daisy allows him to make tough decisions throughout the novel. The decisions Gatsby makes are all based on Daisy, in hopes of winning her love and keeping her safe. Some people may argue that the choices made by Gatsby are ridiculous and absurd. However, the idea that Gatsby sacrificed himself for Daisy and never gave up hope for Daisy's love truly makes Gatsby a hero.
A person who sacrifices themselves for someone shows selflessness, making them a hero. Gatsby sacrificed his life for Daisy by taking the blame for killing Myrtle. Nick knows that Daisy is the actual culprit, the murderer. However, Gatsby pleads to Nick, begging him not to tell anyone the truth. Gatsby is willing to give up his life to keep Daisy safe, biting the bullet for her. Also, Gatsby stands up to Tom Buchanan whenever Daisy feels mistreated by him and comforts her. During the night of the accident (Myrtle's death), Gatsby insisted on waiting outside to ensure that Tom would not do anything to her. Nick wanted Gatsby to go home and run away and hide, but Gatsby ignored him and stayed, despite knowing the consequences if he was caught. Like Jesus Christ, He sacrificed His life and died on the cross to save everyone from their sins. Jesus loves everyone, which is why He sacrificed Himself, like how Gatsby sacrificed his life for Daisy.
People are willing to do anything in their power for their loved ones. Gatsby earned wealth through bootlegging & associating himself with Wolfshiem, bought that specific mansion on West Egg, got close with Nick, and hosted the incredible parties in hopes that Daisy would love him again. Gatsby's dream is to be with Daisy. The fact that he is trying desperately to win Daisy back into his life makes him a hero. He is doing all these things for the person he treasures most in his life. The idea of working desperately for Daisy's love ties in with the American Dream - hard work leads to success, which is an illusion. The reality is that no matter how hard one works, that dream one desires is never guaranteed. Gatsby is a victim of the American Dream because he is working hard to win Daisy's love, building himself from the ground up and establishing himself as a "somebody," but sometimes things are not meant to be. What makes Gatsby great to me is that despite that the universe has other plans for him, he continues to write his own story by trying to go back where everything started to crumble and work desperately to fix it.
Gatsby is the living representation of hope. He never gives up on his dream of winning Daisy's love. People can envision Gatsby reaching out to the green light described by Nick, which shows his persistence and willingness to overcome any difficult task to get Daisy back into his life. The green light on the other side of the dock is to remind Gatsby of his dream. It continues to shine, keeping that dream alive. Gatsby does not care what people say about his dream; instead, he focuses on himself and continues to achieve his goal. When Tom exposed Gatsby by revealing who he truly was, Gatsby knew that his dream was starting to erode away forever. Despite this, he continues to hold on one last time, asking Daisy to call him the following day of the accident (Myrtle's death).
Gatsby embodies the characteristics and values of what it means to be a hero. His love for Daisy shows his willingness to do whatever it takes and sacrifice himself for her. Nick sees these traits, which is why he created a story about Gatsby. Nick wanted to show people the hidden truth of what this great man has gone through, his struggles, and how he continues to fight for Daisy's love. One does not need to make all these grand gestures of becoming wealthy or buying a mansion to be a hero. It is the idea of never giving up on someone and being there for them, such as sacrificing some time to comfort a friend who feels like garbage, that makes someone great.
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