In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how one’s imagination can often be more desirable than the harsh truth of reality. Gatsby is so enraptured with his own imagination, which has developed over five years, that all he can see is the hope behind the bright green light rather than how the light might be fading. This green light, which represents Daisy, was how Gatsby continued to have the presence of his love in his life. He had these idealistic expectations for Daisy, that after “almost five years, there must have been moments, when Daisy rumbled short of his dreams” and this was all because of the “colossal vitality of his illusion” (Fitzgerald 95). When the time came to face the reality of the situation, it
was hard for Gatsby to accept the truth. Even once Daisy made it clear that she loved Tom, and that she did not want to continue the relationship, Gatsby still said, “I don’t think she ever loved him” (152). He was living in a self-created illusion for five years, and when the moment came to face the truth he could not do anything but deny it. After all, it was becoming all he had ever known.
Furthermore, there are also times when imagination can be forced onto reality, as Myrtle did when she tried to act as if she was part of the upper class. When she was with Tom she often became so “violently affected” with her outward appearance that “with the influence of her dress her personality had also undergone a change” (31;30). She became so determined to adopt this rich character that she acted as if she was superior to everyone else whenever she was with Tom. However, Tom still viewed her as lower than him and he expressed it through his actions when he broke her nose. He did not leave Daisy, yet he did not let Myrtle get away with insulting her either. This imposed reality was one of Myrtle’s own making and despite that, it was the one she often tried to live out.