James Gatz is a man who has his mind on only his dreams of returning to the love of his life, and will go to any means necessary to get himself to this goal. The reader comes to know this man as Jay Gatsby, the fabulously wealthy resident of West Egg. From the views of Nick Caraway the reader sees that Gatsby is a man elevated to wealth by himself in the crime business, who has followed his dreams only to find that he is unworthy of them. .
Jay Gatsby is a man in his thirties who has risen to the wealthy social class of New York by mean of organized crime. The reader finds out late in the book that he was once known as Jay Gatz, who fell in love with a Louisville sweetheart by the name of Daisy. In fear of rejection, Gatsby hides his financial instability from her, but was later rejected because of it when marriage came into the picture. Gatsby was called off to war and lost his love to the hands of a very wealthy football star named Tom Buchanon. This event in Gatsby's past fuels his quest in once again obtaining Daisy for himself, as well as accumulating millions of dollars and property in New York's more elegant community. In light of this quest, Gatsby creates a magnificent background, which he intends to use to fit in with the upper class. " This fella's a regular Bellasco."(50), Owl Eyes insists that Gatsby's house is one big fake to impress people. From this assertion Nick comes to the conclusion that Gatsby is indeed living this lavish life in an attempt to prove himself to Daisy.
Gatsby's late appearance in the novel is used by the author in order to present the reader with a contrast of appearance vs. reality. At first, the reader is introduced to Gatsby as just the talk of the crowd. He is but a fantastically wealthy host of wild parties who is rumored to be a bootlegger, and has possibly killed a man, among many other things. "Somebody told me that he killed a man once."(48).