Tragic Fall?

When I first saw Molly's latest blog title, I tried to answer the question before reading further. I thought: usually heroism is reserved for men of great importance, and in tragedies they typically have a flaw that leads to their downfall.

However, Gatsby lived life in the fast lane, ignoring the laws and social taboos as he rambled towards his grim end. Carraway tried to make his fortune in the bonds market, a field where the best can make quick money. However, Gatsby's lust for Daisy caused him to try bootlegging in order for him to accumulate his wealth. Once he came into money, Gatsby threw lavish parties meant to impress Daisy. He wanted to become a wealthy socialite.

However, the means Gatsby used to reach his status were crooked. Although Gatsby successfully manages to buy his social standing, it seems that only Tom Buchanan - though not perfectly moral himself - is one of the few people who realizes that Gatsby is living a gilded life. Although it appears as if Gatsby has everything, he's corrupt. In fact, early on in the novel Tom said Gatsby was a bootlegger.

Which brings me back to my point. With Gatsby climbing the social ladder so fast, of course he would gain opponenets whose jealousy would cause them to try to find the skeletons in his closet. Gatsby's flaw is that he wanted too much prestige too fast. When I think about the outcome of The Great Gatsby, it's clear that Gatsby would fall the way he did.