The Great Gatsby Blog: Personal Review

            Scott Fitzgerald informed, entertained, perplexed and shocked me all within his novel, “The Great Gatsby”. I was extremely pleased throughout the reading of this novel and pleasantly flustered due to the amount of figurative language and deep thought.

            I felt that the author filled every page with meaning rather than empty pages that led up to a meaningful page. His skillful inclusion of rhetorical strategies, foreshadowing, and in my opinion, brilliant symbols helped him achieve that. Even though the story was rather short, the content did not disappoint. As far as plot goes, I was hesitant towards my liking of it. I found myself often waiting for the plot to go somewhere, but only in the beginning. I do like character development, and though it is essential to a story like this, there was too much. It distracted from the continuation of the story. On the other hand, the character development did lend a quality of authenticity in that I really grasped the spirit of the 1920’s.  Characterized by the narrators occasional rambling, the story also took off on a somewhat frantic path. This chaos was mainly due to the dense content of the book. Perhaps I felt this way because I was constantly annotating the book and picking it apart. If I had read the book for pure enjoyment and with no goal of improving  my own writing, the author’s genius would have been left unappreciated. So, even if it did feel frantic at times, I found myself satisfied with the new content on each page. In some sorts, the novel had a puzzling element because of all the hidden symbols and foreshadowing. As a student,  I’ve been told that reading will change my perspective of the world and increase my level of comprehensibility. The puzzling nature of the story was enjoyable to me  because I truly saw and became mesmerized by my mind in action. Though it seems odd, I feel as if I know the author a little bit, too. It’s almost as if the puzzles devices he used are hidden within the passages, but once revealed, show a tremendous amount of personality. Also, the author’s choice to narrate the story through the eyes of Nick Carraway appealed to me. He told a different story than what we are used to hearing from the “prosperous” era. Furthermore, I complained earlier that the plot took awhile to get going. This wasn’t the case for the ending. I was very pleased and shocked by the turn of events and the exciting events that took place. So, overall, I enjoyed “The Great Gatsby”. There were many challenging, yet pleasing elements to the story and I feel as if Fitzgerald taught me a great deal about writing.

           

The Great Gatsby Blog: Text Connection

            Jay Gatsby has an undeniable obsession with wealth and success. So much so that he becomes entangled in a series of illegal activities to acquire wealth. It becomes evident to the reader that Daisy is just a symbol of wealth to Gatsby and he wishes to obtain her to fulfill his dreams. Due to prosperity of the 1920’s, there was a surge of personal pleasures and living was no longer about survival, but about thriving. With the economic boom, American’s dreams were suddenly attainable. However, the big dreaming and self-pleasing society often was corrupt. Jay Gatsby is a prime example. In our day, this “me first” attitude has become a norm. We want more, and like Gatsby, some people are willing to compromise their moral to get it. Event’s like “Black Friday” show society’s complete negligence of generosity and a tremendous lack of thankfulness. Do we not see how much we really have? Or do we just desire more with the misconception that it will bring happiness? Just like Jay Gatsby, many people are sacrificing their conscious for wealth. Though not as extreme, the woman who pepper sprayed another costumer to get the last “Xbox 360” at Wal-Mart, is a perfect example. It has been said that too much of a good thing can be bad. Wealth, and the idea of “thriving” through life has taken over the minds of American’s in this day just as much, if not more, than in the 1920’s. Yes, wealth, if in the right hands, can do so much good. However, wealth has consumed our society. We seem to have forgotten that personal relationships, the great outdoors, knowledge, and even tribulation can bring immense happiness and growth. Rather than being content in these things, American’s spend money and most of their time trying to reach a higher place than they are. The dream, the obsession with wealth, the desire for more are all present in Jay Gatsby’s life. In fact, he is the epitome of the “me first” society that inhabits America today.  

The Great Gatsby: Syntax

·         “She looked at him blindly. ‘Why--- how could I love him---Possibly’”(132)?

Fitzgerald achieves a struggling tone within the arguments between her, Tom and

Gatsby. The troublesome tone in Daisy’s voice is an element that is essential to the overall cynical tone of the narrator. The syntax here, dashed lines and interrupted word order, explicitly portray Daisy’s fickle nature and immoral conduct. Gatsby unfairly asks Daisy to recant her love for Tom, and though she follows through, the structure of the sentence is alluding to the Daisy’s hesitation towards commitment in that her response is broken and not straight-forward. Her inability to commit and remain loyal to one of the men is low and manipulative. Fitzgerald show’s great skill in character and plot development by employing ragged, choppy sentences.

·         We went upstairs, through period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers, through dressing rooms and poolrooms and bathrooms, with sunken baths…” (91).

It is no question that wealth was idolized by Gatsby and most of the characters in the story. Nicks narration of the scene when Gatsby shows Daisy his exquisite home acquires a cynical and annoyed tone. Nick seems peeved by the excitement over possessions and slight under appreciation  of wealth. The quote, which lists the grand rooms and their over the top décor, is characterized by the repetition of the word “and” and the drawn out length. Rather than using comma’s, Fitzgerald repeatedly incorporated the word “and”. The repetition in the sentence represents the monotonous repetition that is perhaps on Nick’s mind. He sees a society that repeatedly indulges themselves, yet never increases their happiness. As for the length of the sentence, it appears to trail off in the end, showing the narrators lack of fascination with material possessions.

Great Gatsby: Diction

Nick Carraway narrates “The Great Gatsby” with a dark cynicism in his encounters with the characters. His disapproval of society is showcased by sarcastic, dark and juxtaposing diction. In response to Daisy’s question “Do you want to hear about the butler’s nose?” Nick teases, “that’s why I came over tonight”(13). The sarcastic reply gives readers insight into Nick’s cynical perspective in that it shows his loftiness. He seems to feel as if he is above her because he sees himself as an educated, contributing member of society and the petulant slander that Daisy takes part in is too immature for a man of his caliber. The dark and almost sinister description of the Jewess at the restaurant also asserts his disdain for the morally deprived society. Nick noted that the woman glared at him with “dark, hostile eyes”(170).  The impression that the woman gives provides a hint to Nick that she possesses the very quality that he loathes; self-indulged.  The narrator’s cynicism is also highlighted in his juxtaposed phrases. He calls Daisy’s laugh “absurd [and] charming”(8). The two words, though they do not completely contrast, are not coordinating. They allude towards the darkness inside of Daisy. Perhaps Nick saw the careless and selfish qualities when she laughed. The description of Daisy’s laugh as absurd and charming directly relates back to her own comments about her daughters gender; I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”(17). Why would anyone desire for their child to be a fool? Simply because of the time. The woman in the story, and typical of the 1920’s era, held little to no moral decency and preferred to conduct their external appearance with more sincerity their internal.  Nick realizes this lack of uprightness and responds by negatively portraying them in the story. Conclusively, Nick is astonished with the depravity of the “West within the East” and though he remains tolerant in his personal accounts with the characters, his narration hides no sense of cynicism whatsoever.

The Great Gatsby: Rhetorical Devices

·         Metonymy: “…and a little later I participated in that delayed Teutonic migration known as the Great War”(3).

·         Anadiplosis: “But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-“(23).

·         Chiasmus: I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life”(35).

·         Sarcasm: “‘Do the miss me?’ she cried ecstatically. ‘The whole town is desolate. All the cars have the left rear wheel painted black as a mourning wreath, and there’s a persistent wait all night along the north shore’”(9).

·         Allusion: “I bought a dozen volumes on banking and credit and investment securities, and they stood on my shelf in red and gold like new money from the mint, promising to unfold the shining secrets that only Midas and Morgan and Maecenas knew”(4).

            F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates an intricate and sophisticated writing style in “The Great Gatsby” by employing numerous rhetorical devices throughout. The story, effortlessly yet abruptly flowing from one stage to the next, is able to be enjoyed without notice of the author’s purposeful placement of devices like sarcasm and anadiplosis. However, devices such as these are strategically placed within the passage to develop characters and draw specific attention to important symbols. Sarcasm, for example, alludes to the charming and witty persona that Nick possesses. In reply to her question “do they miss me?”, Nick tells Daisy that “the whole town is desolate” and “the cars have the left wheel painted black as a mourning wreath.” His witty comment leaves a lasting impression on the reader and makes Nick very likable. The likability of the narrator is reminiscent of the author’s skillfulness in that it shows his knowledge and ability appeal to the audience. Furthermore, the anadiplosis used to introduce the element of “the eyes of JT Eckleberg” into the story gives readers the impression that “the eyes” will be  reoccurring and essential to the plot. By laying “the eyes of JT Eckleberg” at the end of one clause and the beginning of the succeeding clause, the phrase is highlighted and screams importance. The thought behind each action and incorporation of devices mirrors the maturity of the author by building on simple elements to create a well-rounded and complicated plot. Fitzgerald’s sophistication is furthered by more illusionistic and thought-provoking devices. The mention of “Midas and Morgan and Maecenas”, all historical or mythological characters that idolized wealth, alludes to the wealth-obsessed society of the twenties and adds a quality of credibility. The metonymy “delayed Teutonic migration” for the Great War exposes Nick’s most prominent trait; cynicism. It does so because the “nickname” he gave for the war is evidently negative and implies that he felt no patriotism whatsoever. So by stating the war as a drawn out and then, almost as if he does not mean it, “Great”, readers see the disapproval within Nick’s heart for almost all things that were popular in his time. Another brilliant strategy used by the author is chiasmus. Chiasmus often presents a contrast. When the contrast is illustrated directly side by side, like the quote “”I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled”, the author illuminates the differences. This specific quote is evidence of Nick’s torn opinion of his new friends. Fitzgerald’s inclusion of this device developed Nick and in a way, the reader is forced the determine whether they feel “enchanted” or “repelled’. By not only developing Nick further, but by bringing about a quarrel for the reader to settle, Fitzgerald brags a sophisticated and mature prose style.   Therefore, each device used and maneuver made by Fitzgerald sophisticates and gradually forms his brilliant story.