A lie is defined as a false statement made in order to deceive. There are many instances where the main characters in the novel The Great Gatsby are deceitful. The lies in this novel spiral out of control and cause disastrous effects. The effects of these lies cause trouble in the main character's lives. Gatsby lies and it causes tension between him and Tom. Tom is unfaithful and it puts a strain on his marriage. In F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the main character’s deceitfulness leads to havoc and destruction. There are multiple occurrences when Gatsby lies to the other characters. In chapter one, Gatsby and Nick physically encounter each other for the first time. Soon after, they go into the city with each other. During their light banter about their backgrounds, “Gatsby lies to Nick about his background, …show more content…
Tom is extremely on edge throughout the novel about the past relationship between Gatsby and Daisy and how it is starting to develop once more. Tom, all the while, is being unfaithful to his wife, Daisy. Tom has an affair with George Wilson’s wife, Myrtle Wilson. A few times it does not go unnoticed that Tom is taking a phone call at an inappropriate times and on the other end of the phone is Myrtle Wilson. Daisy has suspicions of her husband’s infidelity but has not been told by Tom that she is being betrayed. “Tom had frequently been unfaithful to her, the first time within the first three months of their marriage” (Parr). “Wilson tells Tom that he suspects “something funny” about his wife, and Tom realizes that Wilson has caught on that his wife is having an affair, although he does not know the affair is with Tom” (Lathbury 7). Tom not only strains his own marriage by being unfaithful to his wife, but he puts a large strain on the Wilson’s marriage. His deceitfulness causes tension and distance between George and Myrtle
Tom has an affair with Myrtle Wilson, who also happens to be engaged to George Wilson at the same time. Daisy forgives Tom for cheating on her because she trusts that he truly loves her. “Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time." (Fitzgerald 251-252) However, readers know that Tom did not truly love her, he is only married to her because of her pure beauty and qualities, “in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl” with an “inexhaustible charm” and a voice “full of money” (Fitzgerald 76).
The similar circumstance that has been revealed to both Tom and to Wilson is that their wives are currently having affairs. While Tom has been doing research on the truth behind Gatsby, he has developed a sense that something inconspicuous was happening between Daisy and Gatsby. The truth of the situation is proclaimed in chapter six as Daisy professes her love for Gatsby, which Tom is unable to believe. Similarly, Wilson has learned that his wife has been having an affair with another man. However, he learns about it on his own without aid from any parties or ever blatantly seeing the affair occurring.
Gatsby is dishonest about his past quite frequently in hopes of impressing Daisy. Nick catches onto this as Gatsby explains his family history, “The phrases were so threadbare that they evoked no image except that of a turbaned ‘character’... ”(Fitzgerald 70). Nick notices how flimsy Gatsby’s back story is. He tries to impress those around him in hopes the word will get to Daisy but instead, embarrasses himself.
In "The Great Gatsby," it is clear that the American Dream is a deceptive concept that only leads to disillusionment and misery. Despite the many characters' attempts to achieve their versions of the American Dream, it always remains just out of reach, causing them to spiral into despair. Gatsby himself embodies the failure of the American Dream, as he spends his entire life trying to win back the love of his youth, Daisy Buchanan. He has made his fortune through dubious means, hoping that his wealth and lavish parties will impress her and make her want to be with him again. However, even when he finally does reunite with Daisy, it is clear that the dream he has been chasing is nothing more than an illusion.
Through the duration of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, there are multiples examples of people being seen while trying to cover something up, including Tom's affair with Myrtle, Gatsby's back door dealings in order to gain wealth, and Daisy sneaking around with Gatsby. To begin, Tom has made a reputation for himself of being disloyal to Daisy, although he thinks a lot of his affairs are private and hidden from everyone. He has had many affairs throughout his marriage with Daisy, but the one seen throughout the novel, is one that involves Mrs. Myrtle Wilson, who is also married. Although Tom
Myrtle is accustomed to living an underprivileged life where feminine power engulfs her, but Tom is too egotistical to allow Myrtle to speak with such authority to him. Similarly, Gatsby’s need for assurance from Daisy pressures her into revealing to Tom that she never loved him (Fitzgerald 132). Deep down, Daisy knows that she truly did love Tom once, but Gatsby’s assertiveness and persistence drives her over the edge to telling Tom that what the two of them shared meant nothing to her. Daisy’s attribute of being a pushover is revealed immensely because she refuses to stand up for herself. Daisy is used to enabling Tom to constantly control all aspects of her life, and that leaves her powerless in society.
The actions Tom takes near the end of the story show how hypocritical Tom really is. For some reason, Tom is irritated that Gatsby and Daisy seem to have feelings for each other, but his affair with Myrtle is completely fine with him. To Tom, there is nothing wrong with him cheating on Daisy, but Daisy wanting to be with Gatsby is a horrid thing, even
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that depicts the American Dream; however, the American Dream cannot be established without running over a few people in the process. Gatsby the protagonist of the novel is known to deceive others and himself; however, his lies are not meant to hurt anyone. Gatsby is lost in his desire to be rich and have Daisy’s love, and in his desire forgets about how his actions may harm others. In addition, Gatsby only wanted to be more than his parents who were “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” (98). Gatsby’s deception goes as far as fabricating who he is, his financial standing in the past; including how he makes his money, lying to Daisy, and allowing others to tell rumors about himself.
This leads to Nick reintroducing Daisy to Gatsby which is when Gatsby let more of the truth out. Once Daisy and Gatsby met again Gatsby decides he wants to show off his house and belongs to Daisy and invites her over. When Gatsby is showing some of his collections to Daisy he says, “‘Look at this,’ said Gatsby quickly.
Both tom Buchanan and George Wilson are two vastly different people but are alike in the most unusual ways. They are the only two characters in the book to use violence; both say they “love” Myrtle and both fight for their women only when they are about to lose them. That is where the similarities cease. Tom is the man who cheats on his wife daisy, with George 's wife Myrtle, and then proceeds to slap her when she would not stop speaking Daisy 's name. George, on the other hand, is a passionate and faithful husband to Myrtle and is crushed to learn that she was cheating on him so much so that he assassinates Gatsby whom he thinks was cheating with myrtle and murdered to get rid of the evidence of his adultery.
Just like Daisy, Myrtle chooses money over love. She cheats on her husband George with Tom. Myrtle was a woman from the lower class who desired to be a part of the higher class. Tom spoiled Myrtle and gave her the lifestyle she always wanted. She belittles her husband and talk bad about him because he is not at the top of the social ladder where Tom is.
" Under the circumstances Nick hardly expects any section of Gatsby's fabulous story to be true..." (Donaldson 161). Gatsby manipulates Nick throughout the novel, causing
If one is honest, they are to be free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere. The quality of being honest is honesty. Although characters in The Great Gatsby are quite sincere, they fall short in the possession of honesty. The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which depicts how American life was during the Roaring Twenties.
Polo player Tom Buchanan had an ongoing relationship with George Wilson 's wife Myrtle that ended very dramatically with the death of Myrtle in a car accident as well as causing the murder of Jay Gatsby. It was not till this time where George started to realize that his wife was having an affair and this made him very upset as Nick says “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world and the shock had made him physically sick. ”(Fitzgerald 130). Tom took Gatsby 's car to get gas at George 's garage on his way to the city to meet with Gatsby. While getting gas Myrtle saw that it was Tom in the car and was upset because she was locked in a room and wasn 't allowed to see anyone.
In “The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Buchanan represents a man who is unfaithful, selfish, and arrogant. Throughout this essay, the character Tom Buchanan will be analyzed and will explain his purpose in this story as well as the many flaws he possesses which make him an unlikable person. Tom is considered to be the antagonist in this novel, but his main purpose in this story is to be the barrier between Daisy and Gatsby. Unbeknownst to Tom, Daisy eventually gets back with Gatsby but has a massive fit once he finds out they’re together.