The Great Gatsby was a story where its protagonist, Jay Gatsby (James Gatz) had a very damaged past. After he met Dan Cody, he made a promise to himself that he would become rich one day. After his life went on, he indeed became very wealthy. Although, his companions do not know how he made his fortunes, Gatsby still changed the story of how he earned his money in the past. When Nick asked Gatsby, I thought you inherited your money (Fitzgerald 90), Gatsby replied, I did old sport.but I lost most of it in the big panic-the panic of the war (Fitzgerald 90). Later in the story the truth of Gatsbys earnings were revealed when Tom said, I found out what your drug stores were.he and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. Thats one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasnt far wrong (Fitzgerald 133). This proved that Gatsby had indeed lied to Nick about how he made his money, for he changed the true story of how he came into his wealth. It can be thought that Gatsby did this to cover up his shady past, and to avoid punishments of the law.
Gatsby was a man who was very ashamed of his childhood, for he was from a very poor family. As a result of this, he attempted to prevent the truth about himself becoming common knowledge. Before the start of World War I, Gatsby met and fell deeply in love with Daisy Buchanan. He could not let her know of his poor upbringing, for he assumed she would not think him worthy of her high class stature. It was later explained that, He might have despised himself, for he had certainly taken her under false pretenses.he had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as .
herself (Fitzgerald 149). When Gatsby told Daisy about his past, it was later made clear that he had lied, and again changed the story of his past as a clear attempt to improve his own future.
