Why Is Appearance Important In The Great Gatsby

Appearance is the way someone or something looks. Reality, on the other hand, is the state of things as they actually exist. People in society tend to confuse the two. In the Modernism period, which lasted from about the early 1900s until 1965, people focused on money, materialistic things, and whether they needed to impress a certain class of individuals or not. There are a numerous amount of stereotypical mortals in today’s society. Not knowing someone, and having the right to a first impression is acceptable, although, things may not always appear to be what they are. In the early 2000s and mainly now, appearance is a key factor in society. Everyone’s mind and time are being spent on impressing others rather than being happy with oneself and life no matter how their life is on the inside or outside.

In The Great Gatsby movie, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, a wedded, rich couple living in East Egg, are the loveliest and most affectionate couple by any means. Well, that is with the doors open. Behind closed doors, their relationship is shaded with lies, love affairs, and a tiny sense of hatred. Although they’re clueless about each other's affairs, they still love each other like nothing ever happens.

The woman who Tom is having an affair with is Myrtle, his friend Wilson’s wife. Tom said to Nick, “We’re getting off, I want you to meet my girl.” (Fitzgerald). Supposedly, Nick’s thinking that Daisy is his wife, so what other girl could Tom be talking about meeting? No one knows about Tom’s affair with Myrtle except, now Nick, Daisy’s cousin. The man who Daisy is having an affair with is Jay Gatsby. Just like Tom and Myrtle, no one knows about Daisy and Gatsby’s vigorous love passion. Everyone who thinks their marriage is so perfect and healthy should anticipate and actually get more in-depth into their relationship.
Earnest Hemingway, a man who wrote A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, has multiple descriptions of how someone’s appearance can mislead another. An old man was in a bar, one that he goes in a countless number of times, and just drinks until he is drunk. The old man was deaf and the young waiter picked on him and mentioned that he tried to commit suicide the week before and that it was all for nothing. “He was in despair. He has plenty money.” (Hemingway). He thinks just because the old man is wealthy, he has no reason to kill himself. The young waiter also broaches about how he thinks old people are nasty and in despair. How can he possibly know that if he honestly doesn’t know anything about every old person on earth? This is confirmation that the young waiter is focusing further on appearance than what the old man or any old person genuinely has going on.
On the other hand, the old waiter is depicting that he might be having a woman over once the store is closed.

The young and old waiter are having a conversation and the old one states, “We are of two different kinds. It is not only a question of youth and confidence although those things are very beautiful. Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the cafe.” (Hemingway). Considering the fact that he said, “someone who needs the cafe,” it implies that he might know the “someone” and he’s getting the store prepared for her to come over. In reality, he could possibly just be making it look marvelous because maybe a homeless person needs to get there or something like that. Who knows what tricks old people tend to have up their

sleeves.

Works Cited
Nugent, Elliot, director. The Great Gatsby. 2000.
Nott, Kathleen. A Clean, Well-Lighted Place; a Private View of Sweden. Heinemann, 1961.
“The Great Gatsby.” ReadinEnglish, readinenglish.com/online/read/ebook/100005/the-great-gatsby-by-f-scott-fitzgerald.