According to the late civil rights activist Dorothy Height, greatness "is measured not by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by what opposition that he or she has overcome. achieve its objectives. » Height's statement embodies the idea that dedication to a vision, rather than the end result, is the true way to measure the concept of greatness. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, James Gatz, who later takes the name Jay Gatsby, is a poor Midwesterner in his youth, hoping to attract the attention of his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. There's only one problem: Daisy is already married to another man, who happens to be extremely rich. In an attempt to impress her and rekindle their love, Gatsby accumulates wealth in mysterious ways, and many believe he was involved in criminal activity. Contrary to popular belief that he was a foolish lover and a dishonest criminal, Jay Gatsby was an ambitious young man whose incredible drive and passion for a successful life ranks him among the greats. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Since he was a young boy, James Gatz dreamed of leaving his life in poverty. Opportunity presented itself and after a chance meeting with Dan Cody, a wealthy copper magnate, Gatz ran away from home at the age of seventeen to learn the ways of the rich (Fitzgerald 98). This milestone marks the death of poor farmhand James Gatz and the birth of the sensational character he strives to be: Jay Gatsby. Throughout the remainder of the novel, Gatsby consistently maintains the enigmatic personality he has established for himself, only breaking character on a few occasions. Gatsby transforms from a "clam fisherman and salmon fisherman" (Fitzgerald 98) into a charismatic and charming young man with "one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal assurance, which you may encounter four or five times." in life” (Fitzgerald 48). Additionally, Gatsby had to overcome enormous obstacles throughout his journey. Before Gatsby became the wealthy host of his lavish parties, he was “a penniless young man with no past” (Fitzgerald 149). Entering the realm of the wealthy, Gatsby found himself at a considerable disadvantage; he had no connections, no friends and, above all, no money. The important inheritance he was to receive from the late Dan Cody was stolen from him by Cody's mistress. Gatsby only knew the ways of the rich which he learned during his time as Cody's associate. Nevertheless, he persevered through these trials and ended up owning a “colossal affair… a factual imitation of some Normandy Town Hall, with a tower on one side, brand new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool . , and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (Fitzgerald 5). Gatsby, from a poor family living in the middle of nowhere, ends up owning a huge, magnificent mansion in one of the richest cities in the country. While this may be impressive, some, including literary critic Claire Stocks, denounce Gatsby's success as a fraud due to his criminal activities. In his analysis of the novel, Stocks states that "the novel's eponymous hero, as we soon discover, is a liar and a criminal. He is probably [not] “great”…” (Stocks). However, Stocks and others do not realize that Gatsby's criminal activities are irrelevant. Gatsby understood the risks he took when engaging in activities such as smuggling; if arrested he would be sentenced to prison”.