Theme Statement: In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the theme that appearances can be deceiving, as seen through the extravagant parties and lavish lifestyle of Jay Gatsby.

Question

Theme Statement: In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the theme that appearances can be deceiving, as seen through the extravagant parties and lavish lifestyle of Jay Gatsby.

Throughout the novel, Gatsby goes to great lengths to create an appearance of wealth and success in order to win back the love of Daisy Buchanan. His opulent parties, filled with glitz and glamour, serve as a facade to cover up the emptiness and longing he feels inside. Despite his outward appearance of affluence, Gatsby's true identity and origins are shrouded in mystery, leading others to speculate about his past. This disconnect between appearance and reality ultimately proves to be his downfall, as his inability to truly connect with others on a genuine level, beyond the facade he presents, ultimately leads to his tragic demise. Fitzgerald skillfully demonstrates how the pursuit of appearances can lead to a shallow and unfulfilling existence, highlighting the importance of authenticity and genuine connection in a world dominated by superficiality.

Use the following sentence starter to begin your paragraph. Be sure that your paragraph is 5-7 sentences, explains how Fitzgerald develops the theme, and uses textual evidence to support your analysis:

Answer 1

Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald develops the theme that appearances can be deceiving through the character of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby's extravagant parties and lavish lifestyle serve as a facade to cover up his true feelings of emptiness and longing. For example, Gatsby's mansion is described as a "factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy" (Fitzgerald 5), highlighting the superficial and artificial nature of his wealth. Despite his outward appearance of success, Gatsby's inability to truly connect with others beyond the facade ultimately leads to his tragic demise. This is seen in his inability to communicate honestly with Daisy, as he tries to impress her with his lavish possessions and lifestyle, rather than expressing his true feelings. Ultimately, Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby as a cautionary tale of the dangers of prioritizing appearances over authenticity, highlighting the importance of genuine connection in a world dominated by superficiality.