Fantasy and Illusion

Living in a fantasy is a theme which many writers of novels, songs, movies etc. use. Holden Caulfield, Neil Young's song "Sugar Mountain", Jay Gatsby, all exhibit a form of fantasy. Holden doesn't want to let go of his childhood and refuses to acknowledge he's growing up. In "Sugar Mountain" Neil Young describes what it's like to be young and the feeling you get when you realize your childhood is gone. Jay Gatsby, from The …

…same conflict- reality vs. illusion. Neither of them want to accept the fact that reality will eventually win over fantasy. Holden's confusion of reality and fantasy leads him to a mental hospital, and Gatsby's confusion leads him to his death. There has to be one defining point in someone's life to wake them up from this fantastic world they live in. If that event never happens, then the person will suffer some sort of downfall.