Gatsby Illusion vs. Reality

The Great Gatsby: Illusion Vs. Reality

Things are not always what they seem. Constantly in life we can be fooled by the metaphorical masks people wear. The appearance of many of the characters in The Great Gatsby differs greatly from their actual selves. The use of illusion in the novel The Great Gatsby is used effectively to portray the nature of people in the 1920's, and the artificial life that is lived in this modern age. There are many incidences in which the appearance of characters is far different than what lurks inside them. Several of these incidences are shown in the appearances of Daisy, Gatsby, and Gatsby's perception of Daisy.

Fitzgerald tried to portray that in the 1920's people attempted to maintain the air of purity and innocence, however deep inside themselves they are still materialistic and corrupt. This can be seen with Daisy, as she tries throughout the novel to maintain her innocence and tries to believe that she is not to blame for anything that has happened. Daisy's appearance can be summed up in one color: white. White is symbolic of purity and innocence which is believable for the beginning of the novel. She primarily wears white in the novel and there are several references made to her 'w

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Also in regards to Gatsby denying the truth of the impossibility of him being with Daisy. We believe Daisy to be an innocent victim of her husband Tom who seems racist, violent and unfaithful. Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy and as readers we draw the conclusion that Daisy is certainly not good enough for him as we see her actions in the novel. Gatsby constantly tries to deny the truth to himself, this is seen when the reality of Daisy's daughter hits him.

Sometimes in life we can delude ourselves into thinking things are different or better than they truly are. It had been so long since he last saw Daisy that his mind washed away any imperfections over time so he was also looking upon her memory with rose colored glasses and thus she became a better and better person as his obsession grew. This shows the nature of people and how far we will strive to get something that we are told we can't have. This light is symbolic of Gatsby's dream to be with Daisy. This is seen with Gatsby and his dream of life with Daisy. This shows that Gatsby did in fact give up a life where he may have enjoyed himself more for Daisy, a woman who was already married with a child who was impossible to be with. Her relationship with Gatsby deteriorates because she simply was attracted to him because of the idea of a new, carefree, exciting relationship with a wealthy man. hite childhood' and her 'white face'. Throughout the story Gatsby doesn't have any real friends aside from Nick and this is because his obsession with Daisy rules his life and thus he has no focus for friends or other activities all of Gatsby's actions lead to Daisy.

In the society we live in there are always illusions present.

Approximate Word count = 1273
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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