Examples Of Illusion And Reality In The Great Gatsby

Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald the theme of The American Dream and Illusion versus Reality are interlinked and are also evident within the novel. This is seen through the protagonist Jay Gatsby, recently changed from James Gatz, who once lived with a poor lifestyle, strived for greatness and luxury in order to achieve The American dream, and is now living in West Egg. This is where people of new wealth go to live their lives. Gatsby’s tale of rags-to-riches can be seen as living The American Dream, however Gatsby always wants one thing in order to complete this desire; Daisy Buchanan. She is first introduced as an innocent and generous woman who is genuine in all the things she says and does. Gatsby was once†¦show more content†¦Jay Gatsby’s aspirations to achieve the American Dream was impossible due to his inability to differentiate between illusions and reality. Gatsby’s stubbornness to rekindle his past love causes his to spiral out of control. He would constantly try to put his needs aside in order to fulfill hers. Gatsby is blind to the fact that Daisy does not have the same feelings towards him. Daisy was only going with Gatsby in order to get back at Tom for having multiple affairs. Gatsby is still not in the same social circle because Daisy is a part of West Egg, which is old money; inherited money, while Gatsby is a part of East Egg, which is new money. This naivety from Gatsby causes him to be blatantly unaware of everything that is happening around him. â€Å"Gatsby, just like the brand new monstrosity he inhabits, is ‘flashy’: he wears pink suits, gaudy shirts, and drives an extravagant Rolls Royce. Despite all of their obvious wealth, the nouveau riche are imposters—cheap materialistic imitations of the American Dream. They can never possess the Buchananss old-wealth taste, epitomized by their cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay (4) . On Long Island, aristocratic grace and elegance cannot be purchased, only inherited. Try as they may, the inhabitants of West Egg will never be able to acquire true opulence. Daisy Buchanans white roadster and spotless flowing gowns,Show MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1465 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom reality to a world of imagination that is ideal for someone. However, we get overwhelmed with our fantasies, we lose touch with reality. In the text, â€Å"Is The Great Gatsby the Most Overrated Literary Novel of All Time,† Daniel Honan argues that the classic American novel, The Great Gatsby is an overrated novel in his opinion. Honan challenges his claim on the novel by questioning, should his book be considered an American classic? Author, F.Scott Fitzgerald, portrays his novel The Great GatsbyRead MoreIllusion Vs. Reality : The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1034 Words   |  5 Pages2015 Illusion Vs. 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