Marriage and Betrayal in “The Great Gatsby”

The topics of marriage and disloyalty play an important role in numerous literary works, in particular in a famous novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby”. Passion, love, gossip, adultery, and betrayal as the most crucial theme are in the center of the author’s attention. Ruining lives and making people unhappy, bad faith and disability to adhere to one’s words, feelings and principles, are vividly demonstrated throughout the novel.

Although a husband and wife are expected to love and treat each other with respect, trust, and support, the novel presents only negative aspects of marriage. All families are built on deception, lies, and infidelity. Fitzgerald sounds so much disappointed and pessimistic about marital relations that it is even challenging to imagine that Gatsby could be happily married to Daisy.

The essence of the novel is in the networks of lies between all people. All characters appear hypocritical, dishonest, and selfish. Destructive betrayals are a norm of behavior for all women, men, and children. Daisy is not loyal in her love to Gatsby, Tom and Myrtle cheat on Daisy, and everybody betrays Gatsby when he is dead and cannot be any longer generous to them. Affairs with other women and numerous examples of meanness and heartlessness in relations are impressive, making the readers be amazed at the scope of lies.

“I did love him once- but I loved you too”. This quote is a bright example of cheating, that the characters of the novel justify with life circumstances. A corrupt society brings negative aspects and selfishness to all kinds of relations. The most genuine and valuable things turn out to be fake, the most cherished feelings are downtrodden, and there is hardly anybody who can remain faithful.

Deceit is a reality of life and no one is ever immune from lies and being betrayed. Nevertheless, Fitzgerald makes disloyalty a universal phenomenon present in every relationship, including marriage. That exaggeration helps him show the suffering caused by such attitude and warn the readers against being cruel to others in their deeds.