The Great Gatsby: Ambition

"I suppose he'd had the name ready for a long time, even then. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people--his imagination had ever really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself." pg. 99

I think one of the overwhelming themes of this book definitely centers around ambition. I've had a hard time completely deciphering it, but I'm pretty sure its something along the lines of "everybody wants to be the best but not everyone can be the best". Gatsby has spent his whole life aspiring to be some big shot with a life to envy. From the quote above, one can tell that his ambition certainly stems from some sort of dissatisfaction with the lot that he was born into. Every action in his life, thus far, has been conducive to creating a better or more superior image for himself. He's even altered the details of his past in order to make himself seem more awe-inspiring and exceptional. All he wants to do is impress people, and he craves reassurance from others that he is succeeding in this task. Nick especially serves as a confidence boost to Gatsby who is constantly expressing doubts about his relationship with Daisy just so that Nick will tell him that he's wrong. Even Daisy herself is a representation of the things Gatsby values: wealth, beauty, materials. Gatsby isn't used to not getting what he want, not being the best, so in the end when Daisy rejects him, I think the theme I stated above comes to full fruition. All his life, Gatsby just wanted to be the best. He did everything he could possibly think of to establish a reputation for himself. But, not everyone who wants to be the best will be the best. Gatsby's life ends with his own defeat and Daisy's rejection of him.