Task #5: Personal Review

            Contrary to most dull, seemingly mundane books that we have to endure in the typical high school curriculum, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald proved to be a pleasant surprise in its captivating plot and interesting characters. Fitzgerald creatively crafts a beautiful and engaging story of success and love, of truth and tolerance. I quite enjoyed Fitzgerald’s extensive use of artful language to really give me a picture of what was happening. His vivid imagery and insightful commentary through Nick made me feel like I was living in the 1920s and seeing its sights. The Great Gatsby was also easy to read and follow, yet still at a sophisticated level of vocabulary and writing. I liked Fitzgerald’s style of flowing sentences yet varied sentence structure and attractive dialogue to really portray the story. I thought the book was interesting in that it was atypical; there was no real happy ending—Gatsby died and Daisy was never heard of from Nick again. Nick walked away from the story wanting to go back to Minnesota. Not only was the ending interesting but the entire book was a surprise to me as well. In the beginning, I had no idea that the novel would turn into a love story between his cousin and neighbor. I was attracted to the elements of surprise in the novel to keep me engrossed. I also liked how this novel expressed the moral of “money cannot buy happiness.” Gatsby had all the money he could want, but he really sought Daisy; even when he did win her back momentarily, he was still not content. Overall, The Great Gatsby was unquestionably a gratifying read thanks to the inspired vision of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Task #4: Text Connections

            In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway tells the love story between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Separated for five years, Daisy is now married, but they are still in love. I can make a text-to-text connection to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the matter of forbidden love. Daisy could not marry Gatsby five years ago because he was poor, mirroring how Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet could not be together because they were of rivaling families. The two stories are similar in that the lovers do not actually get to be together, and their stories end in tragedy; Gatsby dies and Daisy runs off with Tom, and Romeo and Juliet both die.

            This novel is unique in its portrayal of the “American Dream,” of which I can make a text-to-itself connection. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald characterizes the American Dream as corrupt and flawed from the original core of the American Dream—hard work. Gatsby was able to achieve the success and power that is characteristic of the American Dream through dishonest methods. West Egg is also the embodiment of Fitzgerald’s American Dream with its portrayals of garish and tacky parties and insincere social climbers. Gatsby also employs a new kind of American Dream in his longing for Daisy—she is his American dream. The green light that he watched everyday was a symbol of hope and his wildest dreams, and once he somewhat obtained them and reconnected with her, however, he was disappointed to find that she no longer met his idealistic expectations. Gatsby built her up to perfection, only to be disappointed. Americans are portrayed as greedy and insatiable; therefore, the so-called American Dream, in Fitzgerald’s eyes in unattainable and unsatisfactory.

Task #3: Syntax

“But it wasn’t any use.  Nobody came” (174).

Through the use of short, declarative sentences, Fitzgerald conveys the hopelessness surrounding Gatsby’s funeral, the inevitable sadness that stems from the suspense of waiting for people to honor Gatsby only to find, to the readers’ disappointment, that nobody comes. This syntax is unique in comparison to Fitzgerald’s usual lengthy and descriptive sentences. The terse, brief statements bring emphasis to the gravity and sorrow of the situation.

“But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there” (83).

In this example of a periodic sentence with an interrupter, Nick is justifying his reasons for eagerly declining Gatsby’s business proposal. By putting the main part of the sentence at the end, Nick effectively showcases himself as a proud individual that has his reasons for not partaking in a particular venture. Nick is almost haughty in thinking himself above Gatsby’s business.

“I was immediately struck by the number of young English-men dotted about; all well dressed, all looking a little hungry, and all talking in low, earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans” (42).

Seeing these men on the train, Nick immediately judges them. We see that Nick is judgmental but is also conveying a truth—there is no originality among these men; the anaphora repeating “all” suggests that none are individuals, and they are all uniform in thought. Fitzgerald is also focusing on the bigger picture of how everyone is trying to do the same thing and achieve the same success in America in the same way.

“I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler” (4).

By listing nouns to describe his new self, Nick conveys the idea that he had found his place, and he feels useful. The short declarative sentence expresses a sense of pride and fulfillment. He is firm and resolute in his purpose and set in his future. Fitzgerald’s descriptive and relatable style is also displayed by bringing attention to the character’s mindset.

Task #2: Diction

As the book is being narrated by Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald uses his word choice to mirror Nick’s thoughts, fears, and personality. His diction varies in accordance to his mood, therefore establishing different tones. Nick recurrently demonstrates strong, powerful diction when describing Gatsby: “gorgeous,” “hope,” and “romantic readiness” are all used in reference to the shining character of Gatsby. Nick conveys an admiring, adorning tone toward Gatsby but at the same time says that he has an “unaffected scorn” for him, therefore showing the complex character that is Gatsby and their confusing relationship (2). Fitzgerald also uses elevated, erudite diction to show that Nick is educated and intelligent. When he is describing Gatsby’s dreams in comparison to those of ordinary men, he makes Gatsby’s seem superior in calling the latter “abortive sorrows and short-winded elations” (2). Nick diminishes the rest of mankind in favor to Gatsby and his dreams.

The author also uses diction to characterize Tom and ascertain a less friendly tone toward him, using words such as “dominance,” “effeminate swank,” “enormous power,” “great pack of muscle,” and “fractiousness” (7). Tom is perceived as intimidating but lacking sophistication. In contrast, Daisy is surrounded by words such as “white,” “bright,” and “gay, exciting” (9). The description of Daisy reveals that she is the essence of innocence, naivety, and purity, but she is also “cool” and “impersonal” (12). Fitzgerald uses these words to exemplify a disapproving tone of Nick toward Daisy where she considers her almost fake.

Fitzgerald also develops a somber and hopeless tone when describing the valley of ashes between the West and the East. The continual mention of “gray” and application of descriptive words such as “grotesque gardens” express the gloom surrounding the setting. Also adding to the desolate tone is the “haunting loneliness” (56) that Nick sometimes feels. By using abstract diction, the narrator establishes a deep connection with the reader to emphasize the somber tone. Nick’s various moods pervade through the novel to establish tone through the extensive descriptions of people and places, whether it be joyful and bright as Daisy or dark and gloomy as the valley of ashes.

Task #1: Rhetorical Strategies

v     Simile: “...the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe...” (3).

v     Simile, Personification, 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 mint, promising to unfold the shining secrets that only Midas and Morgan and Maecenas knew” (4).

v     Personification: “The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens...” (6).

v     Hyperbole: “The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high” (23).

v     Alliteration, Simile: “She smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom...” (26).

v     Oxymoron: “...a soft, coarse voice” (26).

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

v     Metaphor: “The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain” (85).

v     Metaphor: “For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy’s wing” (99).

F. Scott Fitzgerald proves to be very relatable and detailed in his writing. The author carefully paints a scene and details the characters’ emotions through his rhetorical strategies. He creates intimacy between the reader and his characters with hyperbole, giving the impression that one would feel if one was actually present. By relating knowledge to “Midas and Morgan and Maecenas,” Fitzgerald displays his fascination with wealth by showcasing prominent figures. With endless stores of similes, he effectively utilizes comparisons to evoke a sense of familiarity yet complexity of the characters; he too uses contradicting terms to demonstrate that people are not one-sided. Frequent personification also gives the feeling that the world is full of life, everything is moving, and nothing is concrete. His descriptive style creates a flow to enhance the storyline of the book, to create understanding about that characters and the setting.