Mary White Dr. McGreggor American Lit. 25 June 2024 The reality of wealthy appearance in The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about a lonely rich man in Long Island, New York. Throughout the 1920s, lavish parties were thrown by the rich upper class, shown in the novel with the main character Jay Gatsby. There is a prevalent theme of reality versus appearance throughout the book, rich characters put up a front of high class living and happiness. Through the narrator Nick Carraway we see a different side to these characters, such as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby portrays an elaborate life on the outside, however, is lonely within his mansion, and while Daisy shows peace and a loving …show more content…
In Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby presents himself as a man who enjoys living a high lifestyle. He throws extravagant parties, and wears lavish attire, he is also seen as being friendly multiple times, referring to people as “Old Sport” as a term of endearment. Though he refers to most everybody in a friendly manner, throughout the book it is proven the Gatsby is a lonely man despite the wealth he had obtained. “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 32). This imagery paints a picture of the superficial people that he has come to conjugate with. When using moths to symbolize the community, one can better understand why they come to Gatsby's parties; not for him, but for their own vanity. With this it has been shown that he is seen as a pawn for the wealthy to gossip about, as though they like him for his mystery and money, not his person. Within the novel rumors about Jay Gatsby being a German spy, going to Oxford college and at …show more content…
It is assumed that Daisy only married Tom for his wealth, and by refusing to wait for Gatsby she is seen as vain. She lives in a mansion with Tom Buchanan and her daughter Pammy Buchanan, her exterior appearance is presented in perfection and grace. She is presented as sarcastic and unserious, such as when she jokes that she will arrange a marriage with Nick and lock him in a linen closet (Fitzgerald 17). Daisy is outwardly happy and plays a ditzy woman to her peers, but as soon as she is alone with Nick Carraway she is opened about her true pessimistic view on life. “And I hope she’ll be a fool, that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 16). She is mostly shown feeding into stereotypes of beautiful women only wanting money and material items. Daisy Buchanan is not stupid, she is aware of what she does, but she knows no other way to be. Her seemingly loving marriage exemplifies her desperate attempt for stability. Daisy and Tom are in affairs, but Daisy willingly sticks by Tom, although it is suggested she is aware of his affair. “The telephone rang inside, startlingly, and as Daisy shook her head decisively at Tom the subjects of the stables, in fact all subjects, vanished into air” (Fitzgerald 15). She knows that Tom is having an affair, but so as not to embarrass her or himself she urges him not to answer the phone, her outward of a happy marriage is quickly shown to