"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.