...splendor.” In a well- organized essay, analyze Fitzgerald’s use of figurative language in his passage and explain how the final metaphor contributes to the overall meaning of the novel. The Great Gatsby explores the arduous endeavor man must invariably go through to acquire a new identity in order to satisfy others, which reveals why the overbearing Gatsby undergoes a substantial transformation as F. Scott Fitzgerald illuminates through the incorporation of abstract nouns and juxtaposition. Fitzgerald’s elucidative language presents Gatsby as a man without an identity, however as he reinvents himself, his journey highlights the vice of society. The inclusion of abstract nouns promulgates Gatsby’s idealistic characteristics that lead him to live in a fictitious world that is of no real value. This suggests that his ideals are unrealistic and are just a “purposeless splendor” (Fitzgerald 76). The “purposelessness” lexically means that his life is of no significant value, however the connotative meaning implies that he has the potential to thrive and be reborn. The juxtaposition of “purposelessness” and “splendor” help convey the corruption of the American Dream since there are those who live lavishly and the disregarded others who cannot. Gatsby’s temperament rather than appearance calls attention to his personal issues and not the more pressing societal conflicts that take place. Fitzgerald reinforces the idea that Gatsby is a “nobody” (Fitzgerald 72) through Gatsby’s own broach...
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...techniques are employed by F Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby (1925) and by Ian McEwan in Atonement (2001) to express the loneliness of their characters. In these books, isolation dominates the mood and events of the story; however, the loneliness of the characters often reflects the cultural restrictions of their historical setting. Arguably, the motif of social change and tension also impacts the moods of the books, to a lesser extent. In the Great Gatsby, the moral decay of the 1920s is epitomized by the juxtaposed valley of ashes and the Eggs, while in Atonement, the sweltering weather of Part One could be to illustrate the tension simmering between characters and the impending change apparent in wider society, for example...
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...A Analysis is the practice of looking closely at small parts to see how they affect the whole, but a Literary analysis focuses on how plot plus structure, character, setting, and many other techniques. That's what I intend to achieve in this essay about The Great Gatsby. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the theme of wealth can breed carelessness in my own opinion. Using the literary techniques of point of view, juxtaposition, and foreshadowing to create meaning in his classic work. The word “careless” sums up Nick's friends as I think and also what the author says in the book himself. For example I feel like Gatsby’s whole life trying to contract his money and status so that he could reach a certain position in life. This is what motivated him to move to west egg to be right across the lake from Daisy, making as much money by doing anything possible. I felt in his position Daisy wanted and needed a man that was wealthy so he changed himself to win her back. At a point him and Daisy were perfect for eachother when he was unwealthy, but their affair foreshadowed that it was a doomed relationship showing that she only wanted him for his money now. As we can see now, the relationship was never doomed at the end for Daisy as she runs away, as her secondary lover dies. Another...
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...wealth, sometimes their morals aren’t as important to them. This is illustrated by Gatsby’s involvement in illegal business, Tom’s affair with Myrtle, and Daisy’s reunion with Gatsby. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg represent the eyes of God watching over the decaying morals of American society. In Chapter Four, Gatsby invites Nick to lunch at a Forty-second Street cellar in New York City. In order to travel from Long Island to the city, they must drive through the Valley of Ashes, and therefore under the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg....
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...What is the meaning of glamour? Two of the omnipresent themes within ‘The Great Gatsby’ are glamour and corruption . A key debate about two of these themes is whether they are co-existing or mutually exclusive ideas. What is the meaning of corruption? An air of compelling charm , romance , and excitement , especially when delusively alluring . The quality of fascinating , alluring , or attracting , esp. by a combination of charm and good looks. Gatsby's "Career" Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain; moral perversion . Inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty (as by committing a felony). Gatsby's Parties Gatsby throws massive, extravagant parties regularly, as evidenced by the ‘ juice of two hundred oranges ’ being extracted every week for his party guests. ‘ leaving the door in pulpless halves ’ – a reminder of the wasteful results of glamour and Capitalism Gatsby's house is a ‘ colossal affair by any standard ’ with a marble swimming pool, private beach, a Rolls-Royce in the drive and forty acres of land. Gatsby's parties have ‘ buffet tables garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvres ’, an orchestra, a cocktail bar, and not to mention hundreds and hundreds of celebrity guests. Fitzgerald subtly combines this sense of glamour through Gatsby’s parties with the idea and theme of corruption...
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...F. Scott Fitzgerald succeeds in expressing, admiring, and convicting what is known as the American Dream in his novel, The Great Gatsby. The novel is set in 1922, and it depicts the American Dream--and its demise--through the use of symbols and character development and ultimately commenting on the idea of a”self-made man”. The portrayal of the American Dream begins with the juxtaposition of the West and East Eggs. The West Egg is where the "new rich" live, those who have accumulated a lot of money by being innovative during the years following the completion of World War I. These people, the so-called “self-made men”, are depicted as being rather extravagant (like Gatsby's pink suit and Rolls Royce), eye-catching; like Gatsby's rather flamboyant...
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...The Narrative Art of The Great Gatsby Introduction The Great Gatsby was written in 1925. The author, Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) is one of the most outstanding writers in America. As a member of the “lost generation”, Fitzgerald made the short life of Gatsby epitome of the rise, boom and decline of the “American Dream” in “Jazz Age”. This novel shows us unusually rich literary and aesthetic connotation is has by its unique narrative perspective, the ups and downs of plot, superb accurate language, various rhetorical devices and vivid character images. To some extent, the reason why The Great Gatsby can become a famous classic work is that the author uses extraordinary narrative techniques in it. All the techniques are employed skillfully by Fitzgerald. The study of narrative art in this work has been highlighted in the research area in these years. Zhang Jinfeng(2001) analyzes the role of Nick in the novel from the its structure, themes and other aspects. Cheng Xilin(2009) uses the spatial narrative theory to discussed the space narrative art in The Great Gatsby from three aspects: the geography space, social space and the text space. Xiao Dongbo(2009) starts with the analysis on author and characters and expound the connotation of "American dream" and profoundly reveals the historical process of the formation, development and burst of the "American dream". Shang Guanghui(2011) analyzes The Great Gatsby from the narrators of the role and argues that the communication...
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...Discuss the portrayal of New York Society at the turn of the twentieth century in Edith Wharton’s “The House of Mirth.” Edith Wharton’s ‘House of Mirth’ critically depicts New York’s society at the turn of the 19th century as money orientated, unequal and content with its missing morals and ethics. Having experienced first-hand the upper class of America, Wharton is able to expose this dismal society in a way many other writers were unable to. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, the Great Gatsby society is also a key theme. Based in the growing New York of the 1920s, Fitzgerald portrays the theme of society through the influx of new money and its difference between those of old money. Due to the historical differences between the two novels, Wharton’s novel can been seen as a criticism of this society; Fitzgerald’s novel uses society to enhance the plot, sometimes he does criticise it. Fitzgerald criticises this society as he reveals it to be a lost generation after a major worldwide conflict, which has turned into a hedonistic and materialistic society. Word Count for Page One: 313 Word Count for Page One: 313 Money plays a big part within the characters’ lives and the society within ‘House of Mirth’. Wealth is an important factor, in order to be accepted into the higher society. Lily teeters on the edge of this society, however her lack of money limits her from being accepted fully. Wharton explores the idea of inherited wealth through characters such as Percy Gryce, she displays...
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...This is taken from the opening paragraph of the second chapter in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this passage the narrator, Nick Carraway’s perception of the valley of the ashes is portrayed to the readers. In the beginning of the passage, the narration shows a sense of emotion in the motor road and railroad. The railroad, which was a favoured transportation by the wealthy, which avoids the valley of ashes as if it is some kind of despicable filthiness, which will contaminate them. This seems to stand in for the views that the wealthy residents of the Eggs have on the valley of ashes. The inharmoniousness of the Eggs and the valley of ashes are highlighted by the motor road hastily joining the railroad. The valley of ashes...
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...In “The Tamarisk Hunter,” Paolo Bacigalupi tells the story of a tamarisk hunter, Lolo, working for more access to water throughout California. Lolo plays the system by reseeding the tamarisks so that he gets more water and he makes a living doing this. However, by the end of the story, the “guardies” (259) reveal to him and his wife, Anne, that the Department of Interior is “shutting down the water bounty payout program” (260) that provides Lolo with income. Throughout the story, there is a juxtaposition between those who are legally allowed to have the majority of water supply, and those who do not have a right to the water that flows through their land. One of the most consistent markers that Lolo uses to address those with access to water...
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...The setting in The Great Gatsby initially makes it appear as though West Egg and East Egg are completely different because Fitzgerald describes West Egg as ‘less fashionable’ and describes the houses in East Egg as ‘white palaces’ which makes it seem as though West Egg is not a very nice place when compared to East Egg. However when you look at Nicks description of his house on West Egg he says that it is ‘squeezed between two huge palaces’, palaces is used to describe both the houses on East Egg and on West Egg so possibly class divide between East Egg and West Egg isn’t as prominent as it is first made out. Palaces are usually seen as somewhere that royalty live in and so Fitzgerald is implying that Daisy and Tom are living a very luxurious and perfect life because of all their money and power but after reading the book the reader could argue that they don’t deserve the lifestyle and power that they have because of all the sins they have committed. Fitzgerald uses the word ‘white’ when describing the houses on East Egg and the colour white is usually associated with purity and innocence which is a juxtaposition to how Tom and Daisy actually are, perhaps Fitzgerald wants the reader to believe that the people who live on East Egg are innocent; alternatively the colour white can have the connotation of emptiness and loneliness so Fitzgerald may have used the adjective white to symbolise how empty the upper class people’s lives were in that time because often they had no role in...
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...In his novel The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald explores the hypocrisy of the American Dream, through his intricate construction the settings of West-Egg, East-Egg and the Valley of Ashes. Fitzgerald’s use of West-Egg and East-Egg as a microcosm for the East-West divide of broader America shows how, despite the assertions to the contrary in the American Dream, social structures and bias still run rampant in American society. The obvious juxtaposition between the values and attitudes of the two locations highlights this, with West-Egg described as having “wide lawns and friendly trees” (pg. 7), compared to “the white palaces of East-Egg” that “glittered along the water” (pg. 8). This serves to paint the East-Egg as untouchable to those perceived...
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...How Does Fitzgerald Show the Importance of Society in the Opening Chapters of The Great Gatsby? The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was an American novelist and short story writer. The tale of The Great Gatsby is set in a modified version of the Long Island and New York City area of the USA, with correlations to The Hamptons. Throughout the opening chapters of the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a vast amount of characters, motifs and themes to show the importance of society. These can vary massively but all appear to imply how corrupt society was in the 1920s. He also shows how the innate social standing of people defines and limits them for the rest of their lives. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in the cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure seen within nearly all of the characters. Capital is one of the main focuses of the novel, and it becomes apparent that throughout the tale, it defines not only their social standing, but the level of respect which they receive along with how they are interpreted by others in the novel. Fitzgerald begins the novel with an introduction from the narrator and one of the main protagonists, Nick Carraway. Carraway fought in the First World War, which we later find out he fought alongside Gatsby, giving them some form of common ground to base a ‘friendship’ upon. The novel initially begins with a poignant message from the father of Carraway; “When...
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...How does Fitzgerald establish characters and themes in the first two chapter of the novel? F. Scott Fitzgerald creates characters who all have strong personalities. The first character the readers are introduced to is Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby. Although, he does not play a huge role in the novel, Nick is the catalyst as he observes the events of the main plot, without being instrumental in any of the action. Nick is a college man, he graduated from Yale, however he doesn’t really brag about his educational background. Nick says “I graduated from New Haven”, he doesn’t boast about the fact he went to Fitzgerald establishes him as a humble person. Additionally, Nick explains that his father gave him some advice: “whenever you feel like criticizing anyone… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” By Nick telling the readers about his father’s advice and that he is “inclined to reserve all judgments”, the implications are really strong. Nick comes from at least a middle class family that value a sense of moral justice. In this way, the readers are encouraged to trust Nick and to believe in his impartiality and good judgment, a biased narrator will make the narrative reactionary, not honest, so stressing his good judgment is crucial. This establishes Nick as a trustworthy character and friend. However, throughout the novel, the readers witness Nick’s rude and snide comments. For example, Fitzgerald writes:...
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... Chapter 1 Summary Francis describes in stark and brutal detail his injuries sustained during the war, and how after the war he came to lodge with Mrs Belander in Frenchtown where he lived as a boy. He visits the church and says prayers for various important people in his life; thus we are introduced to some major and minor characters: Enrico, his mother and father, whom we learn are dead, and Nicole Renard and Larry LaSalle. Tension is created- he states his intention of killing Larry, but at this stage we do not know why. A flashback to the war introduces the theme of heroism- Francis has a Silver Star Medal, although he refuses to believe himself heroic – and reveals his love for Nicole. Language use My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face. – compound sentence – pared gives only what he considers as essentials metaphor ‘ I have no face’ why is this effective? simile ‘ my nostrils are like two small caves’ – why is this effective? Narration follows the patterns of speech – how? What do we need to be aware of with a first person narrative? Characters Francis – disfigured and hiding, ‘I am like the hunchback of Notredame, my face likee a gargoyle and the dufflebag like a lump on my back’ – why is this allusion effective? Mrs Belander – how do her actions show attitudes towards veterans at this time in America? Structure Starts with...
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