The Great Gatsby Identity Essay

An identity is the condition of being oneself. Your identity is comprised of your past, present, and future. Some people who are ashamed of who they are try and change themselves, or disguise their true identities. The idea of identity is exemplified by the characters Gatsby and Myrtle, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. Since Gatsby and Myrtle are ashamed of whom they really are, they attempt to hide their true identities by guilding themselves; however, it is impossible to change your identity because it is impossible to change the past, therefore they die as who they really are.

Jay Gatsby's real name is James Gatz; he had changed his name at the age of seventeen. He is originally from North Dakota. His parents worked as unsuccessful farmers, and he had a career as a clam digger. He did not attend the prestigious Oxford; he actually attended St. Olaf's Lutheran college in Minnesota, but dropped out shortly because he could not afford it. These are simple facts about his past that Gatsby hides in order to pursue his new and improved life style and identity. As James Gatz, Gatsby had never been proud of himself, or even content with his lifestyle. "His heart was in a constant, turbulent riot. The most grotesque and fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night." Gatsby had always wanted more out of life than was he had, therefore he created Jay Gatsby. "The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself." Gatsby saw himself as better than the life he was living; he felt as if he did not belong in the world he was born, but rather in a world full of glamour, wealth, and success.

Gatsby becomes successful and gains all his money from a bootlegging business. He covers up his illegal activities by saying he inherited money from his dead parents. He is able to conceal his true identity very well. He has a fake past created and is able to answer any questions about it. Although it may sound unbelievable, Gatsby makes it all sound very convincing. For example, Nick states on page "For a moment I suspected that he was pulling my leg, but a glance at him convinced me otherwise." Since Gatsby's whole identity is a lie, he tends to be very secretive, and comes off as rather mysterious. Due to these characteristics, rumors about Gatsby tend to circulate East and West Egg. For example: "Somebody told me he killed a man once." and "it's more that he was a German spy during the war." Despite the rumors, Gatsby continues to hide what his life is really like from the public and uphold his "pristine" image.

Towards the end of the novel Gatsby is shot and killed by George Wilson. Gatsby dies in his pool, which symbolically represents him dying as his true self. Water represents clarity, which shows seeing yourself clearly for who you are. When Gatsby died all his guilding did not matter anymore, it could never cover up who he really was. All the extravagant parties filled with guests did not seem to matter after he died. None of Gatsby's usual party guests showed up at his funeral; in fact barely anyone showed up at all. "The minister glanced several times at his watch, so I took him aside and asked him to wait for half an hour. But it wasn't any use. Nobody came." The only people to attend the funeral were Nick, Gatsby's father, a few servants, and owl eyes. Gatsby's "friends" (Wolfsheim) did not bother attending. The people who attended the funeral were the ones who were able to see beyond Gatsby's guilding, especially his father and Nick. They were able