Theme Of Deception In The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in the 1920s, a time of glamour and exuberance in which Fitzgerald has cleverly weaved the theme of deception into with the wiring of this novel. Many of the characters in this work lie, but one character specifically brings this theme into importance: Jay Gatsby. Gatsby's very blatant lies are told for his purposes of self-improvement and wooing Daisy Buchanan, two noteworthy motives of the deceptions that form the basis of this novel.
Gatsby's obsession with self-improvement is a significant cause for his deceit. He tells several lies about his past in order to recreate himself. For instance, when on the topic about his life, Gatsby says, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle
West — all dead now. …” (64). This statement is instantly deemed untrue by the narrator when the narrator asks Gatsby where in the Mid-West, and Gatsby replies : “San Francisco”, which is not part of the Mid-West. Furthermore, Gatsby's father shows up to Gatsby's funeral, definitively proving that Gatsby's parents had not died. While holding a "self-improvement" book that Gatsby made when he was younger, his father points out that Gatsby has always tried to better himself. According to page 97, “[Gatsby's] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.” This line supports the implications within the book that he is ashamed of his past. As a result, he aims to become the affluent person that his parents had never been by reinventing himself through lies.
In the meantime, Gatsby also wants to appear extremely wealthy. He is motivated to do so not only for self-improvement, but for his love interest, Daisy Buchanan. When arguing with Daisy's husband, Gatsby says, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me.” (128). Gatsby lies about his attained wealth by omitting the truth: he doesn't tell anybody that he gets money by illegally selling alcohol because he is ashamed of it. However, Daisy's husband eventually outs Gatsby in front of Daisy about the source of his money because he knows that it will ultimately ruin Gatsby in Daisy's eyes.
These deceptions are very meaningful to the overall work because many of the events and perceptions are based on them. From the first page, the narrator proves to be hypocritical, which introduces the theme of deception from the very beginning, though the main focus is Gatsby's life of lies as told throughout the novel. In addition, from the author's perspective, the 1920s were a time of expressing outward beauty and wealth. By creating characters who depended on lies, the author was merely exposing the not-so-glamorous—perhaps more genuine—side of the iconic decade.
Jay Gatsby's obsession with both self-improvement and Daisy Buchanan is the source of his compulsions to lie. By trying to reinvent himself, he is avoiding who he really is: an unexceptional man whom Daisy Buchanan does not love. Gatsby's inclination to lie plays a large role in the execution of the theme in this novel, making this book an intriguing look into deception during a charmingly misleading era.
Gatsby's obsession with self-improvement is a significant cause for his deceit. He tells several lies about his past in order to recreate himself. For instance, when on the topic about his life, Gatsby says, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle
West — all dead now. …” (64). This statement is instantly deemed untrue by the narrator when the narrator asks Gatsby where in the Mid-West, and Gatsby replies : “San Francisco”, which is not part of the Mid-West. Furthermore, Gatsby's father shows up to Gatsby's funeral, definitively proving that Gatsby's parents had not died. While holding a "self-improvement" book that Gatsby made when he was younger, his father points out that Gatsby has always tried to better himself. According to page 97, “[Gatsby's] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.” This line supports the implications within the book that he is ashamed of his past. As a result, he aims to become the affluent person that his parents had never been by reinventing himself through lies.
In the meantime, Gatsby also wants to appear extremely wealthy. He is motivated to do so not only for self-improvement, but for his love interest, Daisy Buchanan. When arguing with Daisy's husband, Gatsby says, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me.” (128). Gatsby lies about his attained wealth by omitting the truth: he doesn't tell anybody that he gets money by illegally selling alcohol because he is ashamed of it. However, Daisy's husband eventually outs Gatsby in front of Daisy about the source of his money because he knows that it will ultimately ruin Gatsby in Daisy's eyes.
These deceptions are very meaningful to the overall work because many of the events and perceptions are based on them. From the first page, the narrator proves to be hypocritical, which introduces the theme of deception from the very beginning, though the main focus is Gatsby's life of lies as told throughout the novel. In addition, from the author's perspective, the 1920s were a time of expressing outward beauty and wealth. By creating characters who depended on lies, the author was merely exposing the not-so-glamorous—perhaps more genuine—side of the iconic decade.
Jay Gatsby's obsession with both self-improvement and Daisy Buchanan is the source of his compulsions to lie. By trying to reinvent himself, he is avoiding who he really is: an unexceptional man whom Daisy Buchanan does not love. Gatsby's inclination to lie plays a large role in the execution of the theme in this novel, making this book an intriguing look into deception during a charmingly misleading era.