The Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz. He was born into poverty and later reinvented himself, creating the identity of “Jay Gatsby” as part of his larger effort to rise into wealth and status. The name change reflects his entire project of self-creation. As a young man, he imagines a more glamorous, successful version of himself and then commits fully to becoming that person, leaving behind his past as James Gatz.

This transformation captures Gatsby’s belief that he can shape his identity and future through sheer will. But the fact that his original name—and the life attached to it—never truly disappears suggests how difficult it is to escape the past, no matter how completely one tries to rewrite it.