Magicians In The Great Gatsby

Magicians are often referred as “The Great-”, in the book The Great Gatsby, F.Scott Fitzgerald’s use of this in his title provides a quick insight into the book. Magicians deceive their audience, play tricks on them yet allure them. The magician is compared to the character of Jay Gatsby, who has to make his audience believe that he belongs to a higher class than he was really born into. By his use of speech, money and clothing, Gatsby is able to essentially deceive those who watch him. Gatsby lies about his money, telling people the money was inherited as a fortune from his family, when it was made through illegal schemes. By throwing large parties and managing to disappear into the background, he develops into a magician of his own. .magicians as “The Great Houdini”, suggesting that the persona of Jay Gatsby is a masterful illusion.

The magician does not have not have a specific connotation. While the magician James Gatz was a simple boy that was fortunate enough to get into the graces of a rich man. When given the opportunity of taking his life to higher standards, James Gatz gave himself a new name, a new life, a …show more content…
He is not “great” and is not “gatsby” rather a young man born poor into the name of James Gatz.

Throughout the book, Jay Gatsby is compared to a magician. He makes things appear and disappear. He can be there one minute and be gone the next. Jay Gatsby creates the illusion of being in the high social class when he is really in another. He spends over five years of his life to make people think that he belongs to a higher class. Gatsby attempts to conceal the ways that he achieves success. He masks the sources of his money to make sure that the deception goes through. Jay Gatsby, like a magician, uses deception to make his dream come true. He appears to be a man of high class, but all it is- is an