Sabina Stevens Mr. Murdock VI English April 9, 2024 An Authentic Lie Jay Gatsby, formerly James Gatz, the central character in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end” (98). As the narrator allows the reader to gain insight into Gatsby’s character, as the novel progresses, Gatsby’s character gains depth. Gatsby’s character is complex, and at times he displays his authenticity, and at other times he demonstrates his spuriousness. However, Gatsby is not spurious because he wants something from others. Instead, Gatsby is not authentic to himself because he is faithful to his seventeen-year-old …show more content…
Gatsby’s authentic body language is apparent when discussing his decoration by Montenegro: “[Gatsby] lifted up the words and nodded at them–with his smile. The smile comprehended Montenegro’s troubled history and sympathized with the brave struggles of the Montenegrin people. It appreciated fully the chain of national circumstances which had elicited this tribute from Montenegro’s warm little heart” (66). The description of Gatsby’s body language by the narrator both illustrates a sense of warmth and conveys the feeling that Gatsby is authentic about his war achievements. The description also showcases the importance of body language, as body language is a factor in what makes a person believe or disbelieve a statement. Since Gatsby’s body language portrays authenticity, the narrator and reader are more inclined to believe Gatsby’s words, indicating how authenticity changes how a person is thought about. In addition to his authentic body language, Gatsby becomes comfortable enough around Nick that when Nick asks him a question, Gatsby answers truthfully. Gatsby displays this trait when Nick asks him who Meyer Wolfshiem is and later who the man in the photo,