Alcohol:

Alcohol seems to be quite a pertinent aspect of the book, for instance when Daisy is about to get married to Tom she gets heavily drunk and reveals that in reality she does not want to marry him but as soon as she sobers up she goes along with it. On the other hand, Gatsby for instance does not drink at all, and it could be inferred that the reason he does not drink is because he does not want to reveal his deepest secrets such as how Daisy did. Alcohol can be looked at like a truth elixir, and those like Daisy who have no care for the world tell the truth in moments of vulnerability whereas individuals like Gatsby must conceal in order to protect the things he fears loosing most. There is also a link to page 97, it’s revealed that an individual named Cody had inherited money but he did not end up getting it, and then was found dead later on. I think this almost traumatised Gatsby, he is almost somewhat in the same situation and it is evident that money means a lot to him, as well as the possibility of alcohol being linked to Cody’s death. Alcohol in this book also helps push the twists and turns of the story, it seems as though quite a bit of action unfolds when people get drunk or information gets revealed, the illusion created by the characters seem to slip away and their inner truths are exposed. Nick on the other hand only got drunk at that small gathering with Tom in NY, and since then has resulted more to observe the enjoyment than partake, allowing himself to also include himself in events and situations that reveal more and more about the people around him.

In all, alcohol seems to be a way to expose the artificiality of the higher social classes or acts as a way to escape all the illusion created, its a truth elixir that tears away the beauty and sublime of this privileged life and as a reader allows them to see past the created persona’s of character’s.