The Great Gatsby

Dan Cody recognizes in the young James Gatz (later Jay Gatsby) a striking mix of ambition and charm. He seems like someone who could rise far beyond his humble origins.

Cody is immediately drawn to Gatsby’s “fine appearing, gentlemanly” manner, seeing in him not just a poor farm boy but someone who already looks and acts like he belongs to a higher social world. Gatsby’s appearance and confidence allow him to pass as more refined than he really is, which makes him useful to Cody. Cody also notices Gatsby’s eagerness to seize opportunity: Gatsby attaches himself to Cody after meeting him and quickly becomes his assistant, showing initiative and a willingness to reshape his life in pursuit of wealth and status.

Just as important is Gatsby’s imagination. Even before meeting Cody, he has already dreamed up a new identity for himself—“the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent”—and commits fully to becoming that person. Cody recognizes this capacity for self-creation and channels it, giving Gatsby exposure to luxury, travel, and the habits of the wealthy. Gatsby’s devotion to this invented identity, and his willingness to leave his past behind, mark him as someone who will pursue success with unusual intensity.

What Cody sees, then, is not just potential for making money but a deeper drive: Gatsby’s readiness to transform himself completely in pursuit of a dream. That same quality later fuels Gatsby’s rise—and ultimately his downfall—since the dream he builds his life around proves impossible to fully realize.