Symbolism Of 'Outward Appearances In The Great Gatsby'

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Scarlett Cheek Mr.Gruca Hybrid English 3B 04/14/24 Outward Appearances can be Deceiving Throughout The Great Gatsby, the characters' true intentions are revealed quite often. And they are not always who you might think they truly are. A lot of times, it is the people you most suspect, like Daisy. But other times, it is someone like Gatsby who has a different story. In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, “Outward Appearances Can Be Deceiving” is almost always the message. The Buchanans are the wealthiest of the East Egg in Great Gatsby. They are well put together, live in a beautiful mansion, and are happily married. Right? But, their hearts and actions speak differently. For example, Daisy throughout the story is said to be sweet and has a “charming voice”. Nick …show more content…

I'll say it whenever I want to.' Tom slaps her with an open hand, instantly breaking her nose.”(37). Imagine what it would be like for Daisy, if Tom did that to his mistress. Tom is always shutting down Daisy when she talks and more. It truly shows how on the outside, everything can seem put together. But on the inside, it might not be so sound. The last, and most important example of our theme, is James Gatz vs Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is shown a lot throughout the book as having extravagant parties, a big house right across from Daisy’s, beautiful and proper clothes, etc. But, we later learn about his previous story. James Gatz comes from a poor family of farmers. An example of this is in chapter 6, “ His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people– his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.”(98). Whether he goes by Jay or James, his story and upbringing affected him (especially emotionally). He might look very put together on the outside, but on the inside he has baggage and the opposite upbringing as his life now. Throughout the novel, nobody is truly who they seem to

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