The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a classic American novel set in the 1920s. Fitzgerald uses many literary devices throughout the novel to liven up the story and to make the story exciting. A few of the literary devices that Fitzgerald uses are: foreshadowing, symbolism, and metaphors. Fitzgerald uses foreshadowing throughout The Great Gatsby. One example of this literary device is in chapter three when Owl Eyes and his friend emerge from a ditch after their car loses a wheel. Fitzgerald uses this to foreshadow the events in chapter seven when Daisy kills Myrtle Wilson because of her reckless driving. Another time when Fitzgerald uses foreshadowing is when Nick tells Jordan that she is a bad driver. " You're It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. And then one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (189). Gatsby was so obsessed with his relationship with Daisy in the past, that he had a hard time dealing with the present situation. Fitzgerald uses metaphors throughout The Great Gatsby. An example of this is when Nick compares his house to Gatsby's "colossal affair" (9) and Nick states, "My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore and it had been overlooked.." (9). A second example is when Nick walks over to Gatsby's house to a party. "Dressed up in white flannels I went over to his lawn a little after seven and wandered around rather ill-at-east among swirls and eddies of people I didn't know..." (46). This illustrates how Nick felt overwhelmed by the various people milling around the party. He compares the guests at the party to almost like a whirlpool. A third example of Fitzgerald's use of metaphors is in chapter three during Gatsby's party. Nick describes the scene, " The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and
This quote represents the writing technique of foreshadowing, which is being used in one of its finest forms. Fitzgerald is foreshadowing to chapter seven where Daisy kills Myrtle Wilson because of her reckless driving. I am a sassy. Fitzgerald uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot of his book. In chapter nine, Nick begins to recall the past and relive his old memories.
In the third sentence, note the metaphor and explain Fitzgerald’s choice of this particular metaphor.
Finally, Nick’s inability to involve himself emotional with anyone is also a problem. He is more of a bystander than a participant. He fears of being close to anyone, and mostly just gets along with everything. That is a problem. He needs to find someone to listen to, instead of him always being the listener. This emotional distance, which he has, is not a healthy thing for him and can cause him to end being a loner.
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald and is based throughout the ‘roaring 20’s’. Throughout the novel there are affairs and corruption, proving life lessons that the past cannot be repeated. Fitzgerald uses many forms of symbolism throughout the text some of these include; colours, the eyes of T.J Eckleburg, clocks and the East and West Eggs. The Great Gatsby is a story of love, dreams and choices witnessed by a narrator against the ridiculous wealth of the 1920’s.
Even though he had some thought that the meeting would provoke harmful tensions between Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby, he went along with it anyways, further demonstrating his own innate lack of reservation. Ultimately, Nick is an unreliable narrator who overlooks Gatsby’s lies because of his biased judgment of him. Nick portrays Gatsby as a generous and charismatic figure while in reality, he is a duplicative and obsessed man entangled in illegal business who is determined on an unattainable goal. It is highly ironic that Nick judges others for their lack of morality and honesty; his own character is plagued by lies as he abets Gatsby in many of his schemes.
4). Nick’s assessment and criticism toward Jordan, Tom, and Daisy also show his skeptical and logical outlook on others around him. This tone shows Nick’s struggle between being like the emotionless and careless people around him (like Tom) or to be his own hopeful and romantic man (following
The Great Gatsby is a well written and exemplary novel of the Jazz age, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald desired writing his books about the roaring twenties and would explain what happened during that time frame. The majority of the characters in The Great Gatsby cared more about money, power, and having a good time then the people in their lives. This lack of caring for others resulted in the hardships the characters faced. Especially, Jay Gatsby was one of these cruel characters.
In conclusion, Fitzgerald?s use of language connotes the reality of Jordan Baker, Daisy and Tom Buchanan? lives. His use of diction, imagery and syntax suggests how their lives have no excitement and desire. Nick views them as white- dull and bland. Therefore, by using diction, imagery and syntax, Nick shows how imperfect their lives truly are.
The writing style of Fitzgerald refers to the way he puts the words together, the rhythm and length of his sentences, his symbolism and his use of description and dialogue. Modelled after Flaubert's Madame Bovary, the author selectioned The Great Gatsby as a 'novel of select...
This passage shows Nick making his way through New York at night, seeing the sights and narrating the way this external stimuli makes him feel. It exemplifies the manner in which Nick interacts with the world around him, often as an observer, rather than participant, and is integral to the development of his character. Fitzgerald utilizes vivid imagery throughout the paragraph, paired with a strong narrative regarding Nick’s experience in New York; furthermore provoking the audience to ponder a theme central to the novel.
Nick is thinking out loud one night remembered Gatsby’s biggest wish is that he wants nothing less from Daisy but to go tell Tom: “I never loved you” (Fitzgerald 109). Apparently being wealthy was not all Gatsby wants, but also wants love from Daisy. He loves her so much he wants her to break Tom’s heart and come with him. This man is clever and cold hearted like Lord Voldemort and Sauron. Jordan glanced at Nick and told him in a calm tone: “ Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 78). Gatsby’s way of being in love with Daisy is to be a creepy stalker never giving her space and always spying on her. He wants Daisy and overlooks the reality of her being married and having a daughter. This man’s creepy romantic gestures for Daisy just happened to get Gatsby a house across from Daisy’s house. When Gatsby wants something he really goes after it, he was head over heels in love with Daisy that he would do anything to get her he truly is a man who gets what he
Nick is our narrator and the voice of reason in a time and place where parties are the goals and having a good time is all that matters. Parties at Gatsby’s mansion are the rule not the exception and all who attend pay homage to their false prophet Gatsby. He is their leader the charming man living in a mansion and driving and awesome care. Too bad he has no sense of real worth. Yet nick seems to be loyal to him the whole time “They're a rotten crowd, “I shouted across the lawn. “You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.”I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile, as if we’d been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time” (Pg 162). Nick appears on the sidelines more than in the mix with all the drinkers and boasters and unfaithful spouses. “I forgot to ask you something,...
At the beginning of the book, Nick's dependability is demonstrated as he recounts various information about himself. He is “inclined to reserve all judgments”(1), a trait that implies objectivity and therefore reliability as a narrator. However, he continues to say that this reservation of judgment has certain limits, especially recently in his life. These limits, apparently, do not apply to Gatsby, as evidenced in the next line. Nick says that only Gatsby “was exempt from [his] reaction”, even though Gatsby “represented everything for which [he has] an unaffected scorn”. He then continues to praise Gatsby's “heightened sensitivity to the promises of life”, and his “extraordinary gift of hope”(2). This beginning excerpt from the book in the first two pages sets the tone for the rest of the book and foreshadows the events that are going to happen. It is one of the most important sections of the book, as it lays out ...
Unlike Owl Eyes, who fortunately doesn’t harm anyone in the accident, “Myrtle Wilson has her life violently extinguished” (Hendrickson’s, Styles Part 4), by one of Fitzgerald’s main characters named Daisy who didn’t even slow down for Myrtle. In this same novel, one of the characters named Jordan Baker, drives so recklessly and close to someone that she ends up popping a button on his jacket. Fitzgerald not only just uses repetition of reckless driving to show people's lack of responsibility, but also uses the repetition of the color green to show a fresh start.
One example of a modernism technique that Fitzgerald uses is loss of control. The characters often lose control and make bad decisions that have horrible effects. For example Tom Buchanan to whom is married to Daisy Buchanan who is the second cousin to nick the main character and narrator of the story, is having an affair with a Mrs. Myrtle Wilson and because she is saying Daisy’s name hits her. “Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand,”(page 41). This shows his loss of control over his emotions. He was showing anger toward his mistress and because she was not obeying his demand of not mentioning Daisy’s name. In another instance in The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan ran myrtle Wilson-her husband’s mistress-which killed her instantly. She was hysterical when she discovered Gatsby‘s true source of his money and she could not be linked with someone of “Dirty Money,“(page153). George Wilson, who is Myrtle Wilson’s Husband, is so upset over myrtle’s death that he, after being misinformed, shoots and kills Gatsby to whom he believes is responsible for his wife’s death and then takes his own life. “…the gardener saw Wilson’s body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete,”(page170).