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One of the most important themes of The Great Gatsby is that of the struggle between one's true personality and that which they attempt to portray to others. Gatsby, since meeting Dan Cody, seems to have been under the impression that the way one appears to others is more important than the content of one's character, or hard work. He seems to have an absolute disdain for hard, honest work, as he wrote off the unpleasant janitorial work with which he was supposed to earn his tuition at St. Olaf as a "ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny" (Fitzgerald 105). This exposes his attitude that he is somehow above hard work, as his “destiny” is greater than those of the people around him who must follow society’s normal laws. His parties convey his superficial confidence, as they are extravagant and full of his “friends”. However, the reality of his life, that he is essentially a lonely, insecure charlatan, is exposed with his interactions with Daisy, and especially, after his death. Nick desperately tries to find people to come and mourn after Gatsby dies, and imagines Gatsby’s usually confident voice saying, “you've got to get somebody for me [...] I can’t go through this alone” (Fitzgerald 173). This is perhaps the strongest evidence for the failure of Gatsby’s actions to produce actual happiness and real relationships. Although many people were “friends” with Gatsby when it was convenient and fashionable to do so, when he needed them most, they failed to uphold the friendship. Gatsby’s life and death represent a failure in the superficial life Gatsby, and many others, pursued and depended upon.
The lasting lesson of The Great Gatsby, to me, is that one cannot successfully, in the long term, pretend to be someone they are not. Gatsby attempted this, and in the end, he died a lonely and pathetic man. Hard work and mistakes are necessary for happiness and prosperity, and any route by which supposed success is otherwise achieved is not healthy and will ultimately result in irreparable damage, to oneself or others.
The theme of the struggle between one's true character and the image they attempt to portray is an important theme I found in the novel as well. While it mostly affects Gatsby and his life, I also think it is a prominent conflict pertaining to Nick. Because he serves as a character and a third-person narrator, we are given insight to his thoughts on situatons. I think he always struggles with whether or not he can trust Gatsby because when he offers him a job that is a "rather confidential sort of thing" (Fitzgerald 83), Nick turns down the offer. I agree that this theme in Gatsby's life hinders him from creating worthwhile relationships and ultimately leads to his demise. Great job!
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