Gatsby’s parties might look like a dream—champagne flowing, jazz music filling the air, and everyone dressed like they stepped off a magazine cover—but when you look closer, there’s something empty underneath all the sparkle. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows us that a lot of the people who show up to Gatsby’s mansion aren’t there for real connection. They’re wearing metaphorical masks, hiding who they really are behind fancy clothes and polished smiles.
Most of Gatsby’s guests don’t even know him. They just want to say they were there, to be seen, to chase a vibe that promises success or escape. The parties are all about status and showing off, not about community or authenticity. And honestly, that feels a lot like our world today. Think influencer trips, celebrity events, and Instagram-perfect lives. We scroll past post after post of curated perfection, not knowing what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Daisy and Jordan, two key women in the novel, are also caught up in appearances. Daisy acts like she has it all together, but deep down she’s sad and stuck in a life that doesn’t fulfill her. Jordan gives off a confident, unbothered energy, but she’s not as put-together as she seems either. And then there’s Gatsby—probably the biggest example of all. He builds this whole image just to win Daisy back, but it’s all based on a fantasy.
This idea of wearing masks is something we still deal with. Social media makes it easy to hide behind filters, likes, and picture-perfect moments. But like Gatsby’s parties, it can all feel pretty hollow. When we’re too focused on appearances, we lose real connection and joy.
In the end, Fitzgerald’s message still hits: if we live for the performance, we might miss out on what’s real. So maybe the question we need to ask is—when the music stops and the lights fade, who are we without the mask?
