Outward Appearances in the Great Gatsby
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby outward appearances are essential. They provide a glimpse at the artificial world inhabited by Jay Gatsby, a
product of his own imagination(Lehan,"the road to West Egg" 29) and Daisy Fay
Buchanan, the embodiment of glamour and wealth (Brewley 44), two characters whose
action thoroughly develops the plot, and two who have become so consumed by the
image they have created that they do not truly know their own identities. This
deceptiveness created by outward appearances is seen no more clearly than in the pictures
painted by Fitzgerald of Gatsby's "bewildering parties" (E.K. 7), and in his business
dealings which are connected with the "underworld bond and brokerage business"
(Lehan). The valley of ashes, "where all hopes must be left behind"(long 123), and the
grand mansions of Gatsby and the Buchanans also offer the reader a look at the massive
illusions created by Fitzgerald's characters. As the Great Gatsby progresses, the outward
appearances of events, places and people can prove to be very deceptive.
What more can explify the importance of outward appearances than the parties of
the roaring twenties and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The first three chapters of the
novel are devoted to party scenes; 1) the "proper dinner party" at the Buchanan's in East
Egg; 2) the wild drunken party at Tom and Myrtle's apartment in New York; and, 3)
Gatsby's extravagant party in West Egg. These scenes introduce all of the important
characters and places in the novel, as to give the impression of artificially (Miller 107).
Each of these parties emphasizes the impressio...
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identity. Daisy, the object of his desire, is also quite obscure.
Throught out Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby the importance of outward
appearances is ever present and continuosly deceptive. One can witness through the
parties of "dazzling extravagance"(E.K. 7), the decieving underworld business of Gatsby,
the "wasteland" Valley of Ashes (Miller 106), the unreal ,cold palaces of the East and
West Egg, and most of all in the imaginary self-invented souls of Jay Gatsby and Daisy
Buchanan the truth to the idea of outward appearances. Not only did these deceptive
masks prove to be important but they were essential to the plot of the novel. The Great
Gatsby 's success can be attributed to the twists and turns provided by the human need to
judge one another and develop onesself through the use of outward appearances.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him. Initially, Gatsby stirs up sympathetic feelings because of his obsession with wealth.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby many characters are not as they seem. The one character that intrigues me the most is James Gatsby. In the story Gatsby is always thought of as rich, confident, and very popular. However, when I paint a picture of him in my mind I see someone very different. In fact, I see the opposite of what everyone portrays him to be. I see someone who has very little confidence and who tries to fit in the best he can. There are several scenes in which this observation is very obvious to me. It is clear that Gatsby is not the man that everyone claims he is.
The society of the mid nineteen-twenties, as depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel “The Great Gatsby”, is one of glamorous parties and shallow, superficial and material-based relations. East Egg is home to the more apathetic portion of New York’s elite, which cares only for their money and view the world around them as disposable. West Egg, however, is full of hardworking people who are willing to peer beyond one’s surface to discover the true potential locked within one’s self. Though both Eggs are similar in the fact that they are both very careless due to their social status, the two vary greatly when it comes to their levels of compassion towards others, as well as their morals. East Egg and West Egg, although similar in nature, ultimately demonstrate differences in value, integrity and responsibility.
When looking at Jay Gatsby, one sees many different personalities and ideals. There is the gracious host, the ruthless bootlegger, the hopeless romantic, and beneath it all, there is James Gatz of North Dakota. The many faces of Gatsby make a reader question whether they truly know Gatsby as a person. Many people question what exactly made Jay Gatsby so “great.” These different personas, when viewed separately, are quite unremarkable in their own ways.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an absurd story, whether considered as romance, melodrama, or plain record of New York high life. The occasional insights into character stand out as very green oases on an arid desert of waste paper. Throughout the first half of the book the author shadows his leading character in mystery, but when in the latter part he unfolds his life story it is difficult to find the brains, the cleverness, and the glamour that one might expect of a main character.
Jay Gatsby lives in an enormous, extravagant mansion resembling a castle that a wealthy brewer had constructed ten years prior to the events of the novel. Gatsby’s house is located in the West Egg area of Long Island, where the population is made up of mostly newly wealthy people. Gatsby is living the so-called “American Dream” after spending a period of his life striking it rich by smuggling grain alcohol as a bootlegger. The effects of Gatsby’s riches on himself and people around him are comparable to how alcohol causes self-destructive behavior and bad judgment in people when ingested in large amounts. Gatsby strived to gain his wealth in order to become high-class enough to be with Daisy, Tom’s wife who fell...
Bruccoli, Matthew Joseph, ed. (2000). F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: A Literary Reference. New
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print
No earth, no air, no light-” (page 61) Stories told about how beautiful life was before the war, beautiful towns people once called home now remain as empty plains of rubble after the bombs have destroyed them. ‘“ If the old bell had been hanging in the steeple it would have rung to announce midnight, twelve solemn iron kongs which would have woken the villagers from their sleep and startled any small creature new to the village and unaccustomed to the noise. But the bell had fallen from its height weeks ago, and now lay buried in silence beneath rubble;”’ (page 7) The damage to a once beautiful place was caused quite simply by greed, greed for something that was not theirs. The wolf’s wise words were correct “ When a wolf clan battles another, it’s usually over territory, Probably this is the reason for your warring,” (page 59), this war was over territory, people wanting to take what was not theirs and having the power to destroy anything that got in their way, leaving everyone and everything caught up in an unpleasant mess.
Similarly, ashes take the form “of ash-grey men, who moved dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air”. (21) The stiff, weak movements show its inhabitants to be barely alive. These men have the same lack of life and vitality as their surroundings do. This is seen in the inhabitants of the valley. George Wilson, who...
perhaps even one of the greatest novels of all time. In order to be revered as a
...and the upper middle class members mixed in the neighborhood, creating a disturbing mix. West Egg provided a direct confrontation to the establishment that disturbed the rich such as Daisy Buchanan (107). The residents of the city have foreign names like “Joens”, “Muldoon”, and “Eckheart” with uncouth professions such as actors and politicians (63). Epitomizing the qualities of the people and the buildings of West Egg is Jay Gatsby. Gatsby possesses a house designed to imitate royalty. However, Gatsby fills that very house with the risque parties, juxtaposing the old idea of wealth with a new one. The juxtaposition between the two ideas strongly characterizes the West Egg resident.
Starting at a young age Gatsby strives to become someone of wealth and power, leading him to create a façade of success built by lies in order to reach his unrealistic dream. The way Gatsby’s perceives himself is made clear as Nick explains: “The truth was Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God… he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty” (Fitzgerald 98). From the beginning Gatsby puts himself beside God, believing he is capable of achieving the impossible and being what he sees as great. Gatsby blinds himself of reality by idolizing this valueless way of life, ultimately guiding him to a corrupt lifestyle. While driving, Nick observes Gatsby curiously: “He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces…” (Fitzgerald 65). To fulfill his aspirations Gatsby desires to be seen an admirable and affluent man in society wh...
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a tragic tale of love distorted by obsession. Finding himself in the city of New York, Jay Gatsby is a loyal and devoted man who is willing to cross oceans and build mansions for his one true love. His belief in realistic ideals and his perseverance greatly influence all the decisions he makes and ultimately direct the course of his life. Gatsby has made a total commitment to a dream, and he does not realize that his dream is hollow. Although his intentions are true, he sometimes has a crude way of getting his point across. When he makes his ideals heard, his actions are wasted on a thoughtless and shallow society. Jay Gatsby effectively embodies a romantic idealism that is sustained and destroyed by the intensity of his own dream. It is also Gatsby’s ideals that blind him to reality.
Fitzgerald illuminates the ostentation of society through his portrayal of a high class person such as Gatsby. For example, as a party guest commentates on her previous visit to one of Gatsby’s many parties, she states, “When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address- inside of a week I got a package from Croirier’s with a new gown in it. (43)” To Gatsby, money is not an issue as he tends to the troubles of strangers. Rather than a problem, wealth is something to be displayed in order to achieve a certain image, which is precisely what Gatsby is attempting to accomplish. By proving his wealth and his superiority, Fitzgerald succeeds in painting a superficial image of Gatsby. Furthermore, as Gatsby finally reveals his face to the guests, he begins to collaborate with Nick. Nick, in response, thinks that “His Elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself id got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care(48)” Fitzgerald demonstrates...