Dishonesty in the Great Gatsby: an Analytical Exploration

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, “The Great Gatsby,” really digs into the American Dream and how messed up things were in the 1920s. One thing that stands out is how everyone’s lying all the time. This essay’s gonna look at why people lie in the book, how it messes up their relationships, and what it says about society back then.

Why They Lie

In “The Great Gatsby,” folks lie for all kinds of reasons, mostly to look good or get what they want.

Take Jay Gatsby, for example. His whole life’s a lie. He even changed his name from James Gatz and pretends to be super rich to win back Daisy Buchanan, who he’s been in love with forever. Gatsby thinks that by becoming rich and fancy, he can erase his poor background and be good enough for Daisy.

Then there’s Tom Buchanan. He lies because he thinks he’s better than everyone else. Even though he’s married to Daisy, he cheats on her with Myrtle Wilson. Tom’s lies aren’t about love; he just wants to show he can do whatever he wants. His behavior shows how hypocritical the rich can be—they talk about being good but often act badly.

The Mess It Makes

Lying really screws up relationships in “The Great Gatsby.” Look at Daisy and Gatsby. Gatsby’s in love with an idea of Daisy that isn’t real, and Daisy pretends she might leave Tom for Gatsby but never actually plans to. Their whole relationship is built on lies and ends badly.

Tom and Daisy’s marriage is also full of lies. Tom cheats, and Daisy just goes along with it. They don’t really trust or respect each other; they stay together for appearances. When Gatsby dies, Tom and Daisy just go back to their rich lives, showing they don’t care about the mess they’ve made.

What It Says About Society

The lying in “The Great Gatsby” shows how messed up society was in the 1920s. This was a time when people were making a lot of money and didn’t care much about morals. Fitzgerald shows this through characters who chase wealth and status, often by doing shady stuff. Gatsby, for instance, makes his money through bootlegging and other illegal things, showing how blurred the lines were between right and wrong.

The book also critiques the American Dream and the class divide. Gatsby thinks he can rise to the top, but the rich folks, like Tom and Daisy, show that the American Dream is kind of a lie. No matter how rich Gatsby gets, he’s never really accepted by the old-money crowd. This shows how society pretends to value hard work but really only cares about inherited wealth and keeping outsiders out.

Looking at history, this critique makes sense. In the 1920s, the rich were getting a huge share of the country’s income, leading to a culture of excess and moral ambiguity. According to historians like Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez, the top 1% had nearly 24% of the nation’s income by the end of the decade. This huge gap made people more likely to lie and cheat to get ahead.

Wrapping Up

In “The Great Gatsby,” dishonesty is a big deal. Fitzgerald uses it to look at the morals and society of the 1920s. The reasons people lie, how it wrecks their relationships, and what it says about society show a world where things aren’t what they seem. Through Gatsby’s sad end and the moral failures of characters like Tom and Daisy, Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream and the ethical compromises people make to chase it. The book remains a timeless look at how people lie to reach a dream that might not even be real.

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