Gatsby's True ColorsWhen people hear the words "romantic hero," they imagine one of those false characters from cheesy romance stories, holding roses as he kneels under the heroine's balcony. Gatsby is no better than those false and desperate heroes because his love is false and obsessive. James Gatz, also known as Jay Gatsby, is a poor young man who acquires wealth in order to win the love of a rich girl named Daisy. Gatsby lives and breathes for Daisy, the “nice” girl he loves, even though she is married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby's love may seem devoted, but it is more obsessive because he lives in his dreams and will literally do anything to win Daisy's heart. In Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is not portrayed as a romantic hero due to his attempts to become someone he is not by falsifying his identity, his selfish acts of desperation for Daisy's love, and his fixation with wealth. , proving that love is not the same as obsession. Unlike the cheesy romantic heroes of soap operas and movies, Gatsby believes that by trying to be someone he is not and falsifying his identity, he will be able to win Daisy's heart. Nick Caraway, the narrator of the novel, informs readers about Gatsby's past and his first reaction towards Daisy. He tells readers: “…he let her believe that he was a person of his own class…that he was fully capable of caring for her. In fact, it had no such facilities…” (Fitzgerald 149). Gatsby basically lies about his social status to win Daisy's heart, which shows how his relationship is based on dishonesty and lies rather than trust. Gatsby changes himself to make room for Daisy in his life. A romantic hero never lies because... middle of paper... the whole novel shows that he is not as innocent or silent as readers think. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as not a romantic hero due to Gatsby's attempts to falsify his identity, his selfish acts, desperation for Daisy's love, and his fixation with wealth, demonstrating that the love is nothing like obsession. Gatsby does not understand love; instead he sees Daisy as another target in his life because he is obsessed with her and is willing to do anything to buy her love. Obsession and love are two different things: love is something that accompanies a person until death, while obsession can make a person change their mind after achieving their goals. Therefore Gatsby's story teaches people that a true relationship can only be achieved when there is pure love between both people, untainted by materialism and superficiality..