Discuss how “illusion” is a real idea for teenagers…

We can relate The Great Gatsby to illusion because teenagers want to fit in and not be the odd one out and always keep up with the trends to not look weird. This is sort of like Gatsby because he changes himself to suit what Daisy wants and likes which tends to happen a lot in our society today. Teens particularly girls spend a lot of time and money making themselves look beautiful like models. Many girls want to be skinny, tan, pretty and tall which unfortunately according to the media is the “ideal” image. Narrator Nick Caraway becomes friends with numerous people throughout the book, including Gatsby, Daisy and Tom’s friends. Although Nick is exposed to their darkest secrets, he never develops more than a superficial connection with anyone except Gatsby, and Nick is ultimately disgusted by the others’ selfishness. Today, social media creates similar superficial connections, redefining the word “friend” as a process of adding someone to a network rather than an intimate relationship. Just as Nick observes the personal lives of Tom and Daisy’s companions, a social media user might observe a ‘friends’ status updates and activity but never know them on a deeper level.

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