What Is The Great Gatsby Facade

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, attempts to create the illusion of having successfully achieved the American Dream. Yet his relationship with various characters throughout the novel unravels his facade and portrays the ultimate falsity of the American Dream. Despite creating an elaborate veneer of the perfect American life, Nick, the objective narrator, is able to see through Gatsby’s facade and recognize that his life of charm and success is merely a ruse. From nearly the moment he meets Gatsby, Nick is able to see past the false exterior and behold the true reality. Additionally, a mysterious figure, whom Nick coins Owl Eyes, is able to see through the sham of Gatsby's extravagant persona. Both these characters’ ability to discern the reality of Gatsby’s life from the facade that he has created for himself

While he is corrected in stating that Gatsby represents the falsified myth of the American Dream, Pearson mistakenly claims that Gatsby serves to warp the idea through his materialistic devotion. Rather, Gatsby creates a guise that mimics the ideals of the true American Dream, yet the ultimate facade indicates that the American Dream is a false hope. In his essay, Pearson writes that, “It should be noted that Gatsby is the “son of god”, however, not the god of divine love, but the god of material love”. While it is true that Gatsby lived a lavish and materialistic existence, this fails to prove a warped version of the American Dream. Rather his obscene wealth solidifies Gatsby’s guise of having achieved the true American Dream. It enables him to create an illusion of having achieved total success. In reality, his relationships with assorted characters throughout the novel exposes Gatsby’s facade of the perfect American