The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis Essay
“More Than Skin”:
A Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby
Miss Transue
Block 1
April 17th, 2014
Magnificent clothes are sought after, fought over, and talked about. When a person dresses nicely, he or she is respected. It is possible that this respect could have been formed under false pretenses. Appearances can be fake and deceiving. Clothes can hide things other than skin. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses images of impressive clothing to mask despicable characters. Jordan Baker, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby illuminate this theme with their posh clothing and corrupted minds.
Jordan Baker is a frighteningly stunning woman with a lucrative golf career. This golf career; however, …show more content…
Although his ambition is golden, his wealth is fake. The beautiful clothes he wears provide him with a disguise for his true, despicable self. Gatsby’s wealth is illegal; his reputation of success is falsehood. During a scene where Tom and Gatsby argue over Daisy’s love, Tom reveals the truth about Gatsby. “That drug-store business was just small change” (Fitzgerald 134). Tom then goes on to say, “but you’ve got something going on now that Walter’s afraid to tell me about (Fitzgerald 134). Tom figures out that Gatsby made millions as a bootlegger. In other words, he sells alcohol in drug stores even though it is prohibition era and alcohol is illegal. That isn’t where Gatsby gets all his money. Gatsby is involved in illegal bond businesses. Judging by the numerous phone calls Gatsby gets daily, one can assume that Gatsby is extremely involved in scandalous deals. Gatsby doesn’t want anyone to know this; he wants to appear pure. In order to achieve this, Gatsby covers himself and his lies with magnificent clothes. One man buys the entirety of his clothes. “I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of the things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall” (Fitzgerald 92). These shirts that Gatsby is describing come in a rainbow of colors, textures, and fabrics. Some are linen, some are silk, some are thick flannel, and each is a breath taking color. Gatsby’s shirts overwhelm Daisy, who is at his house at the time. They impress her just as Gatsby intended, but also upset her and remind her of the life she could have had with Gatsby. When Gatsby and Daisy are first reunited Gatsby is wearing a “white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie” (Fitzgerald 84). The white flannel suit Gatsby is wearing is an attempt for him to appear pure; the suit is flannel, heavy fabric making it obvious that he is trying to appear wholesome. The silver shirt and
A Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby
Miss Transue
Block 1
April 17th, 2014
Magnificent clothes are sought after, fought over, and talked about. When a person dresses nicely, he or she is respected. It is possible that this respect could have been formed under false pretenses. Appearances can be fake and deceiving. Clothes can hide things other than skin. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses images of impressive clothing to mask despicable characters. Jordan Baker, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby illuminate this theme with their posh clothing and corrupted minds.
Jordan Baker is a frighteningly stunning woman with a lucrative golf career. This golf career; however, …show more content…
Although his ambition is golden, his wealth is fake. The beautiful clothes he wears provide him with a disguise for his true, despicable self. Gatsby’s wealth is illegal; his reputation of success is falsehood. During a scene where Tom and Gatsby argue over Daisy’s love, Tom reveals the truth about Gatsby. “That drug-store business was just small change” (Fitzgerald 134). Tom then goes on to say, “but you’ve got something going on now that Walter’s afraid to tell me about (Fitzgerald 134). Tom figures out that Gatsby made millions as a bootlegger. In other words, he sells alcohol in drug stores even though it is prohibition era and alcohol is illegal. That isn’t where Gatsby gets all his money. Gatsby is involved in illegal bond businesses. Judging by the numerous phone calls Gatsby gets daily, one can assume that Gatsby is extremely involved in scandalous deals. Gatsby doesn’t want anyone to know this; he wants to appear pure. In order to achieve this, Gatsby covers himself and his lies with magnificent clothes. One man buys the entirety of his clothes. “I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of the things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall” (Fitzgerald 92). These shirts that Gatsby is describing come in a rainbow of colors, textures, and fabrics. Some are linen, some are silk, some are thick flannel, and each is a breath taking color. Gatsby’s shirts overwhelm Daisy, who is at his house at the time. They impress her just as Gatsby intended, but also upset her and remind her of the life she could have had with Gatsby. When Gatsby and Daisy are first reunited Gatsby is wearing a “white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie” (Fitzgerald 84). The white flannel suit Gatsby is wearing is an attempt for him to appear pure; the suit is flannel, heavy fabric making it obvious that he is trying to appear wholesome. The silver shirt and