What Does Alcohol Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Alcohol in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald symbolizes the disparity of reality and falsehood in the lives of Daisy and Tom. Alcohol consumption leads to tensions between the couple which causes adultery and unexpected faithfulness. Tom occupies the majority of his day ignoring Daisy and pursuing mistresses whereas Daisy spends time maintaining her social life. Their tarnished relationship is kept together due to their reliance on each other for their public image. However, when they consume alcohol, they rationalize their life and the senseless facade is refuted. Alcohol emphasizes the rational side of Daisy and Tom’s relationship, symbolizing a truth serum that progressively brings out parts of their real personalities, attributes

He is frequently described as husky and brute by Nick and Daisy due to his aggressive and forceful personality. However, as he drinks he is discovered to be more loving and controlling of Daisy because of his love for her. When Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship is becoming apparent to Tom, he starts to invest himself in protecting Daisy. Daisy tries to confess to Tom that she loves Gatsby by creating a dinner party in which they all start drinking together. Tom hears Daisy say she loves Gatsby but he interjects and makes it clear that “she’s never loved [Gatsby], she loves him” (Fitzgerald 130). After drinking, Tom seems to have power over the situations he is placed in. When Daisy reveals her love for Gatsby, he recognizes he must take control and makes it known to Daisy that she loves Tom even though she believes she loves Gatsby when she is drunk. As Tom is visiting his mistress Myrtle, he defends Daisy's name and hits Myrtle when she repeats Daisy’s name out loud (Fitzgerald 37). Furthermore, he lies to Myrtle and Catherine, saying that Daisy is catholic and leads them to believe that “it’s really his wife that’s keeping them apart” so he can never marry Myrtle (Fitzgerald 33). Because he is drunk, he

When Daisy refrains from drinking, she exemplifies the model housewife with a flawless reputation. When she drinks for the first time the night before her wedding she “never had a drink before” but decides to drink on her wedding night because she's torn between money and love (Fitzgerald 76). Her dilemma illustrates her tarnished values and how she appreciates frivolous objects over love. Prior to her wedding night, Daisy stayed sober and strived to protect her fake image. When she marries Tom, she notices that exuding perfection is stressful and demanding, so she starts to drink to make up for always playing a fake role in her life. Proceeding with her discovery of Gatsby, Daisy sets up a dinner to reveal her love for Gatsby, she drinks to calm her nerves and starts to flirt with Gatsby, with her saying he “always [looks] so cool” (Fitzgerald 119. Daisy carelessly announces her love in front of Tom even though she usually puts up a facade that she loves him, being a perfect and presentable couple (Fitzgerald 17). But when she drinks because of her loveless marriage and unhappiness with Tom, she physically and verbally shows her taking advantage of love because she expresses that love has no value to it. Daisy emphasizes that it's “a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people” and that when she is sober she feels so much control, so