In the “Roaring ‘20s”, wealth and popularity were important factors that influence one’s reputation. To obtain that “perfect” image, people are willing to take illegal measures, go to the extremes, or ‘fake it until they make it’. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, lovers Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan are two examples of this. The two do not show their true nature to the people around them. The narrator, Nick Carraway, is the only person who gives the readers insight on these two characters’ backgrounds, and from this the readers are able to tell that Gatsby and Daisy are putting on an act. By emphasizing the theatrical aspects of the characters’ lives, Fitzgerald shows how the obsession with presentation and image during this time period in America controls citizens.
Gatsby’s life is merely an image that he created; it’s theatrical, yet Gatsby presents it as if it is the reality. He has the power of magicians, who have the ability to show an illusion to children and make them think it’s real. His flashy outfits, the drama, the rumors, and the mystery is all similar to that of a play. The truth is that his flawless image was not there since he was younger. Inspired by the upper class and the American Dream, Gatsby developed a longing for a new face, a fresh start, and the starring role. Fitzgerald reveals a story-telling characteristic in Gatsby, who mesmerizes his audience with a tale of his “rich” past, the best education, and being abandoned by his family but left with a huge amount of wealth. Later on these melodramatic background stories are proven to be false – Jay Gatsby was originally a nobody with big dreams. In stereotypical plays and movies, the prince often ends up with the princess, the knight kills the dragon, and the timid boy saves his town and becomes a hero; there is rarely a sad ending, so by making Gatsby’s life theatrical and fast-paced, he becomes a character who expects a happy ending. Reality is far from these perfect stories, exactly how Gatsby’s persona is fake, or just a show to be a crowd-pleaser. Fitzgerald describes how “each night [Gatsby] added to the pattern of his fancies until drowsiness closed down upon some vivid scene with an oblivious embrace” (99). “Closed down upon” (99) and “vivid scene” (99) emphasize the theatrical aspects of Gatsby’s life. “Drowsiness closing down upon” (99) could be compared to when a curtain comes down the stage when the show is over. When drowsiness – which could represent his downfall or stopping point – comes down on his show, there will finally be an end to all of this endless dreaming. Gatsby’s theatrical life shows how his perfect image that everyone knows was born from an adolescent dreamer. The line between dreams and reality is blurred for him: “these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality” (99). Because of the line that was blurred for him, Gatsby crossed it and went into a newly created world. He strived to become an extravagant being. In the 1920s, the rich in America were obsessed with partying and drinking. People loved to create new versions of themselves with glamour. The reality for many people was an endless cycle of struggle and poverty. However, for Gatsby, he was able to free himself from the cycle by taking illegal measures and making it big. Gatsby’s way of escaping his reality was by taking extra steps into the illegal world to make it where he is now, a rich and charming young man. He is able to change his life as a director makes changes a play:
The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself. He was a Son of God–a phrase which, if it means anything, it means just that – and he must be about his father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end. (98)
Gatsby can come up with many ideas on how to improve himself for other people, and for him these ideas can quickly turn into a reality. Despite encountering hardships that might make him feel discouraged, he is able to endure until the very end. A director is in control of his own play, and in the same way, Gatsby is in control of his own life. He will not back down from an obstacle for the sake of his dreams’ and reputation’s survival.
Similarly, Daisy Buchanan is picture perfect on the outside yet rotten on the inside, but her performance is not only for those around her, but for herself as well. To Gatsby, Daisy plays characters who are commonly found in movies or plays: the princess or the damsel in distress. The original impression that readers get from Daisy would be the image of her that Gatsby has, but because of how Fitzgerald describes her theatrically, it is easy to tell that she is putting on a show as well. First, he describes “her artificial world” (151) as “redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras…while a hundred pairs of golden and silver slippers shuffled the shining dust” (151). With this description of her life during her youth, Fitzgerald indicates that Daisy has only experienced lavish lifestyles. She puts on an image of being bubbly and content with life she lives and the people around her, but in reality she is shallow and indifferent. Later, she knows her husband is having an affair, and she also knows that Gatsby does not fit her ideal of old money, but because wealth means more to her, she pretends to be content with her situation. When she and Gatsby reunite after five years, in front of Nick and Gatsby, she acts very indifferent and calm, even though her true emotion is excitement. When people act fine on the outside even when they do not truly feel this way, it could be because they are trying to convince themselves that they are. Daisy’s coping mechanism of being discontented with her life is to act as if everything is perfect. She also represents the theme of “performances” in The Great Gatsby by playing the role of a character who appears to have a set happy ending, just like Gatsby. The truth is that she is hiding behind an illusory image.
The relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is a tragic fairytale, displaying the theatrical aspects of Fitzgerald’s writing. While their past is cheerful and very romantic, it seems fake when the two lovers reunite after five years. Daisy represents what Gatsby has always wanted, and Gatsby represents the rich during the 20s – his wealth gives him access to anything in the world, yet he is still unhappy and lonely. Again, the American Dream is represented by rich people who have lovely personas on the outside, but rotten personalities on the inside. Their values are superficial, and to acquire these values, the characters act phony to be liked. One example would be the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. Daisy may have wanted Gatsby for her image before, but now she is married to the affluent Tom Buchanan and this is satisfactory for her because Tom has old money, the same class as herself. Gatsby wants Daisy to complete his perfect image of the upper class, and the “flawless rich girl” would’ve been the last “thing” to complete his list, if only she loved him. During the reunion of Gatsby and Daisy, Nick recalls to the reader that
For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living room [he] heard a sort of choking murmur and a part of a laugh, followed by Daisy’s voice on a clear artificial note: ‘I certainly am awfully glad to see you again.’ A pause; it endured horribly. (86)
The awkward emotion within the conversation reveals that they might be forcing their friendliness too much. Because they have not seen each other in such a long time, the only image they have of each other is the one from their past. Therefore, Gatsby is not in love with Daisy, but the idea of her. “Daisy’s voice on a clear artificial note” (86) proves her inability to hide her true feelings despite her attempting to act cheerful. Daisy’s pureness is a facade; she is materialistic and does not love Gatsby. If she really did, she would have left Tom Buchanan long ago. These two characters are putting on a show for each other, but at the end of the day, the curtain will close and Gatsby and Daisy will have to go back to their realities, whether they accept them or not.
Through these theatrical elements in the novel, the characters’ real natures are revealed. Although Gatsby and Daisy seem perfect and happy on the outside, they are putting on a show for others around them. Their acts represent the American Dream as well, showing how illusions and deception make people obsessed with the idea of something. The glitter and gloss of Daisy and Gatsby’s lives cover up their discontent. In a play, actors can portray whoever they want. However, as the curtain close, the actors must return to reality. Daisy and Gatsby refused to end their shows, so their false images will forever live on.