Quote Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the

few honest people that I have ever known. (59)

Inferences Context: Nick is analyzing himself after he analyzes how dishonest Jordan and women in general are. Close Reading: Nick points out that he is one of the few honest people he has ever known. This is very ironic, because if he were truly honest, he would not have to prove it to himself and say that. Context: This is Daisys first reunion with Gatsby in five years. She doesnt still have feelings for him at this point, but he obviously does. Close Reading: Daisy clearly isnt excited to be seeing her old romance, as the passage points out that her voice was on a clear artificial note. This type of language describing Daisys voice is brought up several other times throughout the book and shows Daisys dishonesty. Context: Tom has revealed Gatsbys big secret about how he really earns his money. This is Gatsbys biggest secret and now the truth has been shown to all of the characters. Close Reading: Tom points out that he always noticed that Gatsby was hiding something. Gatsby seemed like a bootlegger the first time I [Tom] saw him. Context: Gatsby is telling Nick his back-story, which is strange due to the fact that Gatsby always tries to hide who he really is and is very

Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisys voice on a clear artificial note: I certainly am awfully glad to see you again. (86)

I found out what your drugstores were. He turned to us and spoke rapidly. He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. Thats one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasnt far wrong. (133) he had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herselfthat he

Conclusion Nick comes off to be a very honest and truthful character. This may not really be the case, though, as he is seen criticizing the other characters in the story for being dishonest. Fitzgerald may have included this statement to make the reader question how honest the narrator really is, and if we can accept the validity of his viewpoint in the novel. Daisy is shown to be very artificial and fake throughout the book. This quote shows how her voice is often described as artificial, supporting how Daisy is made out to be a very dishonest character. She always seems to be trying to manipulate someone through deceit and lies. Her dishonesty and manipulation ends up defining her character, although this can be argued that it is because of Nicks bias. Gatsby is one of the most dishonest people in the book. He is so dishonest that the reader learns nothing about him until the end of the story, and most of it is told by other people. This dishonesty is how Gatsby stays powerful, because it provides him with an air of mystery to hide his true intentions and goals. Gatsby has always been deceiving and used it to get involved with Daisy in the first place. Gatsby uses his dishonesty to get what he

was fully able to take care of her. (149)

I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride. Im thirty, I said. Im five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor. (177)

mysterious about himself. Close Reading: Gatsby deceived Daisy into thinking he was in the same stratum, or layer of social status that she was so that she would like him. This is a strange comparison as it compares the prestige of high social status to the foundation of the earth. Context: Jordan is calling Nick out on not being as honest as he makes himself out to be after he breaks up with her over the telephone. Close Reading: Nick refers to his dishonesty as honor, which makes him seem like he is trying to justify himself. This causes Nick to look even more dishonest, because he seems to always try to prove that he is the most honest person in the book.

wants or what he wants to achieve, who is Daisy in this case. This supports the claim that all humans have an inherent dishonesty because it shows how Gatsby made his own fake persona even when he was younger.

Nick is maybe one of the least honest people in the book. Due to the fact that he always has to justify himself and that he knows everything that happens and doesnt do anything about it, he can be considered much less honest than the other characters in the story. The reader also doesnt even learn much about Nick, making him more mysterious than Gatsby. Nick is dishonest because hes not who he says he is.

In The Great Gatsby, every character seems to have something to hide. The whole plot of the story is based on deceit, cheating, and lying. From Tom cheating with Myrtle, Daisy cheating with Gatsby, and lies told by every character, it is clear that dishonesty is a major theme in The Great Gatsby. Thus it can be argued that the main theme of The Great Gatsby is that all humans have inherent dishonesty and that dishonesty is a part of human nature. This dishonesty is shown through every character, but it is most apparent in Daisy, Gatsby, and Nick. Daisys whole persona is based on her manipulation of the people around her and especially her two romantic interests, Tom and Gatsby. Daisys dishonesty is hinted at from the start of the book, where Nick says, The instant her voice broke off ceasing to compel my attention, my belief, I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said (17). From this quote, it is

apparent that Daisy acts insincere to people even though she doesnt have reason to, such as towards Nick. It is simply a part of her nature, and she does it without thinking or without realizing the consequences. Daisy is also subtly described as dishonest when Nick says, Then from the living-room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh, followed by Daisys voice on a clear artificial note: I certainly am awfully glad to see you again (86). It can be further concluded that Daisy is very dishonest and artificial. She has no true personality of her own, so she has to use dishonesty to reflect her deceit as a personality. Daisy is also very dishonest when she has her affair with Gatsby, when she says, Whyhow could I love him possibly? (132). She obviously had feelings for Gatsby before he left, and perhaps even after they reunited, but she continued to drag out this lie and caused even more problems. All in all, Daisy is a reflection of the theme that all humans have an inherent dishonesty because dishonesty is the foundation of her character and causes the main conflict within the plot. Secondly, Gatsby also contains an inherent dishonesty. From the beginning of the story, we know very little about him. Gatsbys whole personage is based on the mystery of who he truly is. Gatsbys first true instance of dishonesty is when he seemingly tries to befriend Nick and Jordan to get close to the woman he loves, Daisy. Gatsby may have been being friendly at first, but his ulterior motives indefinitely caused him to continue to use Nick and Jordan as a gateway to reconnect with Daisy, ultimately being dishonest in his friendship. Gatsby is still very mysterious at that point in the story, and the reader knows nothing about his business practices and how he rose to wealth. When Tom reveals what Gatsby really does to earn his money, and says, I found out what your drug-stores were. He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of sidestreet drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. Thats one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasnt far wrong (133).

It is explained later on that Gatsby looked as if he had killed a man when Tom threatens to reveal more about Gatsbys dark secrets. Gatsbys dishonesty towards everyone causes him to have nothing left when his truth is revealed. Lastly, Gatsby was dishonest to the one he loved even when he was younger. Nick says that he had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herselfthat he was fully able to take care of her (149). If Gatsby had not deceived Daisy in this way, they would have never had to have gotten tangled up with each other and cause the events that happened in the story. Due to Gatsbys dishonesty, Daisys dishonesty was able to manifest itself in her affair with Gatsby five years later. These reasons all show how dishonesty is a part of everyone and can affect the course of events for those involved. Lastly, Nick is one of the most dishonest people in the book. At the very beginning of the novel, he says that he is inclined to reserve all judgments (1). The reader agrees that he seems like a very honest person, but it has to be realized that he is writing from his own point of view. It may not be readily apparent but throughout the novel Nick always seems to find ways to justify his dishonesty and holier-than-thou nature that he expresses towards the other characters in the novel. A prime example of Nick trying to justify himself is when he says, Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known (59). By indicating the word few, it can be determined that Nick has thought he was honest and that the majority of people he has associated himself with are dishonest. This creates a paradox in which Nick says that he was honest, but by saying this he is meaning that everyone else is dishonest, which in turn makes him dishonest as well. The only time a character in the novel is actually shown addressing Nick regarding his dishonesty is after he breaks up with Jordan, and it can be argued that Jordan was the only

character who could see Nick for how dishonest he truly was. She says, I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride. To which Nick responds, Im thirty. Im five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor (177). This quote really sums up Nicks character. He doesnt apologize or feel any sort of emotion for hurting Jordan and only thinks of himself. He once again tries to justify his dishonesty by using the term honor, and at this point the reader should realize how flawed The Great Gatsby is due to the fact that the story is being told by someone whose morality is on the same level as the other characters, just in a different way. He could have easily prevented many of the events in the story from happening because he knew everything that was going on. He didnt, though, and that makes him a dishonest person because he cant help itit is part of human nature. All in all, Nick is perhaps the best representation for the theme that dishonesty is a part of human nature, because it shows that someone who is considered to be very honest is truly dishonest upon further investigation. In conclusion, dishonesty is always going to be an inherent quality of the human race. This is evident through The Great Gatsbys tragic tale of love and deceit. Even the people who may seem like the most honestthe Nickscan be considered to be just as dishonest as everyone else. Dishonesty can make a personthe Daisiesor break a personthe Gatsbies but no matter how it affects the person, it will always be there.