A Mystery No More: What Gatsby Wants

For the people who don't know Jay Gatsby, he is a shadowy figure and the subject of outlandish rumors.  Perhaps he killed a man?  Perhaps he is a German spy?  Perhaps he is related to King Wilhem?  These rumors all have a sinister undertone.  Gatsby is not somebody with whom one should tangle.  However, for Nick Carroway, Gatsby's neighbor, friend, and confidante, the eccentric millionaire presents himself quite differently:

At the heart of Fitzgerald's classic American novel is a mystery: exactly who is Jay Gatsby?  Of course, we find out specific details about his past.  He was born James Gatz, a poor North Dakotan; he served in WWI; on his way to the fighting in Europe, he met the love of his life, Daisy.  But what motivates this man?  This is the key question of the novel.

Instead of immediately answering this question, Fitzgerald introduces his main character with purposeful ambiguity:

Isolated is a perfect word for describing this character.  Throughout the novel, Gatsby is an odd mix of introvert and extrovert.  On the one hand, he throws lavish parties for hundreds of people. However, at these parties, "no one swoon[s] backward on Gatsby. . .and no singing quartets [are] formed with Gatsby's head for one link" (55).  Simply put, he refuses to mingle with any of his guests:

Of course, by the 6th chapter we understand why he throws his parties and what he was reaching for at the end of chapter 1. In both cases, it is for Daisy. Still, it is hard to say if Gatsby is reaching for Daisy or something that Daisy represents. Perhaps it is that "her voice is full of money" (127) as Gatsby points out to Nick. One thing is for certain, the prospect of being with Daisy rattles Gatsby's perfect composure:

Was it just Daisy that made him so nervous?  No. Gatsby's reaction stems from the fact that he is about to come face-to-face with what he has dreamed about since he was a poor man on the shore of Lake Superior.  

He might have loved Daisy because he saw in her a beautiful, thoughtful human being.  It is possible.  What is more possible, though, is that he loved what Daisy represented, an idea alive and well in America, even though it is false: money allows one to live vibrantly and passionately.