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Examples Of Private Persona In The Great Gatsby

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How are people’s private personas different from their public personas? While some people may be the same in public as they are in private, others are not. Authors tend to use this as a way to make unique characters in their novels. F. Scott Fitzgerald applies this characteristic on a character named Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. In the beginning of the book, Gatsby is perceived as rich and wealthy. Throughout the book, readers discover a hidden personality of Gatsby that makes him unlike his public persona. Through Gatsby’s characterization, Fitzgerald really emphasizes on the fact that not everybody is the same in private as they are in public. Gatsby’s public persona is powerful and rich because that is how he wants people to view him. Gatsby …show more content…

In contrast, Gatsby’s private persona is he has unrealistic expectations. For example, when Jordan tells Nick about Gatsby’s parties she says, “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night, but she never did” (79). This shows that Gatsby is delusional because he only threw extravagant parties to attract Daisy. Gatsby has this childish illusion based on his dreams of Daisy which makes him get deeper in this fantasy world he wants. Another example that shows Gatsby is unrealistic is when Nick looks at Gatsby before leaving him alone with Daisy. Nick says, “I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby’s face, as thought a faint of doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness” (95). This shows that even though Gatsby has Daisy, he does not feel like his current happiness is enough and he is not satisfied with it. Gatsby thinks Daisy could be perfect for him but his fantasy of Daisy that he has created is much more important to him. Nick goes into more details about Gatsby’s idea of Daisy and says, “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams-- not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (95). Nick is saying that Gatsby has this impossible imagination of Daisy that even she can not live up to his standards. Gatsby’s

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