"Most of the characters in The Great Gatsby are involved in deception or self deception depending on their perception of what constitutes...

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is at times a snapshot of The Jazz Age, and, as such the characters reflect the dissolute and the disembling of this era.  In many ways, they have chosen to create their own realities, much as people of modern times do.

Gatsby is certainly involved in both deception and self-deception as he displays his new wealth in material possessions and evening gayla with friends whose names he does not know.  Yet, he himself is deceived in his pursuance of an illusionary "American Dream" of wealth and love, both of which prove false.  Daisy, whose voice "sounds like money" is impressed with this many colored shirts and his car, but vacillates in her profession of love for him.  But, Gatsby, who does have real books inside the leather covers in his library, as Owl Eyes has discovered, is basically genuine; he chooses the deceptive life in order to reach the illusionary green light at the end of Daisy's pier, in order to attain her.

Daisy, like her name appears pure and sweet in her white dresses that mirror the flower whose name she bears.  Yet, as the "golden girl" and one who loves money and is materialistic and shallow, she is much like the center of her flower--yellow, the color of corruption and gold.

Tom Buchanan involves himself with deceiving Mrytle Wilson into believing that he actually cares for her and thinks of her as an equal, but when she dares to criticize his class, he blackens her eye.  He attempts to deceive his wife with this tryst with Mrytle, of course, while adding to his deception of others by dressing like the country gentleman in riding attire. Perhaps, his most villainous deception is that of leading Mrytle's husband to believe that Gatsby has driven "the death car."  Tom's concept of reality is that it can be manipulated by those who are most powerful, an idea he certainly suggests in his promotion of his own race to maintain control of society.

Meyer Wolfsheim's name indicates much about him.  He is a predatory man who uses Gatsby to further his own wealth, caring nothing for the dreamy Jay Gatsby.  As a foil to Gatsby who is loyal to Daisy, Woflsheim has no deceptions of honor or the like in his morally corrupt soul. His main deception is in his creation of a business that is outside the parameters of legitimacy and the real business world, but he knows himself and is wary of others.  Wofsheim's perception of reality is at its most sordid; he is paranoid as he knows there are others wolves waiting to devour him.  His cuff links, two molars, suggest this idea.