Examples Of Deception In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby is a film, co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, taking place in New York during the roaring twenties. As the story progresses, Nick Carraway is consumed by his mysterious neighbor’s previous life. Using Luhrmann characters, the film displays how the American Dream ultimately ends in failure through moral corruption; use of deception; illusion that there is only one version of success. A key aspect of the American Dream is obtaining wealth. Chasing fortune can lead to moral corruption by an individual becoming out of touch and less empathic due to the shield money provides them. This is due to not having the same limitations as those in the lower class. This is most evident when Nick observes that once Myrtle, George and …show more content…

According to the American Dream, anyone can be wealthy, regardless of their background as long as they work hard. In reality, it's about gaining as much wealth as possible, regardless of whether it's honest. Gatsby is a perfect example of this. He ran away from home and worked hard for Dan Cody, just to not get a single dollar when he passed away, although he did obtain wealth it wasn’t through honest work it was through bootlegging. Gatsby’s mansion is a symbol of his deception. It “simulanenously enchanted and replled” people by it’s over the top looks. It has no personality because despite him claiming his “an oxford man” with a “wealthy family” ,he comes from humble beginninings.The mansion is also shown as being completely isolated from the rest of society, highlighting the loneliness that comes with being inauthentic, the only guest that come are “celebrated people” from his parties. A weaker example is him lying about his background in order to impress Daisy. The moment he meet her he was enchanted by her “voice full of money”, and knew the moment he kissed her his “heart would be married to her”. This made him justified him lying about his background, claiming to be from a wealthy family in order to convenience her he was worthy of her. Luhrmann …show more content…

Gatsby uses this to try to win Daisy. When Gatsby takes out a pile of shirts and throws them at Daisy, it starts off cheerful, reflected by the high-key lighting, but the more Daisy is closer to crying the darker the lighting becomes. Luhrmann utilizes a close-up of her face to highlight her emotions allowing the audience to understand she's upset because she has “never seen such beautiful shirts before..” she's come to the realization that she could have gained this lifestyle with someone she generally cared about. Gatsby's dream has never been about obtaining all this wealth, his genuine dream was to be with Daisy, and goes to great lengths to get her to love and choose him. Daisy actively refuses to be with him because she wants to avoid conflict because to her Gatsby ``want(s) too much”. Daisy is a symbol of the American Dream, and how it can never be obtained. Luhrmann shows how the American Dream is not the only way to be happy. Happiness can be achieved through various