Lies And Deception in The Great Gatsby

“Every one suspects himself of one of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people I have ever known.“ This quote by Nick from The Great Gatsby ties well with The Great Gatsby’s theme: People may use dishonesty to get what they want, but in the end it may only serve to destroy them and the things and people they love. Outlined below are some examples where this theme can be found in the book.

Cheating in a relationship is a form of dishonesty, and is frequently found in The Great Gatsby. One such example is the marital bond between George and Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle Wilson was not happy in her marriage with George. Evidence of this can be found on page 35, “The only crazy I was was when I married [George].” The person she really loves is her first sweetheart, Tom Wilson. This quote from page 35 and Tom’s reaction when Myrtle died depict this quite clearly, “And Tom’s the first sweetie she ever had.” It becomes quite apparent that she is cheating on Mr. Wilson with someone on page 124, “’I just got wised up to something funny the last two days,’ remarked Wilson. ‘That’s why I want to get away. That’s why I been bothering you about the car.’” Her dishonesty in marriage not only drove her husband to the point of insanity, but also caused her own death on page 137, “Where Myrtle Wilson, her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and mingled her thick dark blood with the dust.” If Myrtle had never cheated on George, the events that lead to her death would never have taken place. Even if she no longer loved George, it would probably have been beneficial for her to take a more honest path in leaving him. Mrs. Wilson was not the only one cheating on her husband in The Grea...

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...aside and asked him to wait half an hour. But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came.” The only people at his funeral were servants, Nick, and Gatsby’s father. Even when Gatsby tried to make friends, the people he talked to were only interested in business ‘connections.’ Perhaps his poor luck drove him to his immoral activities, but to me it seems much more likely that he brought these things upon himself through his dishonesty. In the end when he attempted to reclaim Daisy, the girl he loved this entire life, he lost his life instead of successfully being with Daisy.

Deceit and its use to achieve one’s goals is a common theme in The Great Gatsby. However, as has been shown, many who use immoral means to obtain the things they want may find themselves in undesirable situations.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004.