...Juxtaposition is present throughout The Great Gatsby, and Fitzgerald uses it show the contrasting characters along with other elements in the novel. Because most of the characters Nick encounters in the story are very similar, it is important to use juxtaposition to show clearly when there are contrasting people. Nick lives in America in 1920, so he lives a very wealthy life with other very wealthy people in New York. Not everyone is as well off as they are though, and through juxtaposition we are shown this in Gatsby. When Nick goes with Tom to meet his mistress, they go to a place nothing like the places Tom and Nick live. "This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens"...
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...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 of the subject. Gatsby’s inexplicable nature provides a subsidiary...
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...for living too long with a single dream.” All Gatsby had ever fulfilled in his life was his money. But he had no one to share it with so it was worthless. He was fixated on Daisy. He lived his life in such a way that on the off chance they may run into each other and she might fall in love with him again. Once he finally reconnected with Daisy and in the end he died for her without ever really having her. And she left him just the same. This metaphor expressing that his perspective has changed significantly based not he recent events and Daisy’s words. “He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky.” He and Daisy had attempted to tell her husband that she loved Gatsby and never loved her husband so that he would agree to get a divorce but once Gatsby began to say that she never loved him, but she realized that this was not true and that at one point, she did indeed love her husband. She loved them both and was not granted her divorce. She left with Gatsby but returned to her home with her husband. The things that roses symbolize like love and happiness that now are meaningless to Gatsby and bring him only pain as displayed in the quote “grotesque thing a rose is.” Flowers been a common motif throughout The Great Gatsby. Constantly comparing peoples looks to a rose, or love to a rose, he fills Nick’s home with flowers because Daisy’s name is a flower and flowers represent her. Nick also sees her this way because Gatsby does. “A small gust of wind that scarcely corrugated...
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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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...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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...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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...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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...The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald Chapter 6 Color Analysis May 24, 2011 Jay Gatsby | -“torn green jersey” (104): The color green symbolizes wealth and money. At this time in the book, Gatsby is working for Dan Cody, the guy who greatly supplies his wealth. The fact that the jersey is torn signifies the hard work that Gatsby demonstrates which then leads to him reaping the benefits of hard work. This section furthers to talk about his parents and how they were “unsuccessful farm people” also that Gatsby “was a son of God.” This is to say that although Gatsby’s parents were hard workers, they were unsuccessful in reaching their ideal “American dream”. Gatsby is currently making those dreams happen. He was helping to complete his father’s business, and is therefore relatively “a son of God.”---- The green jersey also symbolizes the new life that he yearns for that is full of wealth. Right at this stage in the book, Gatsby is called different names: Gatsby, James Gats, Jay Gatsby, young Gats: Each name recognizes a different stages of growth towards the Wealthy life.-“His brown, hardened body lived naturally through the half fierce, half lazy work of the bracing days.” (104): Brown is the color of earth, and of “getting down and dirty”. It further symbolizes the humility Gatsby underwent while with Dan Cody. Because the idea of wealth plagued Gatsby (“his heart was in a constant turbulent riot.”), he reaped the fruit of his labor as discussed with the color change discussed...
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...With The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald made a conscious departure from the writing process of his previous novels. He started planning it in June 1922,[citation needed] after completing his play The Vegetable and began composing The Great Gatsby in 1923.[2] He ended up discarding most of it as a false start, some of which resurfaced in the story "Absolution".[3] Unlike his previous works, Fitzgerald intended to edit and reshape Gatsby thoroughly, believing that it held the potential to launch him toward literary acclaim. He told his editor Maxwell Perkins that the novel was a "consciously artistic achievement" and a "purely creative work — not trashy imaginings as in my stories but the sustained imagination of a sincere and yet radiant world". He added later, during editing, that he felt "an enormous power in me now, more than I've ever had".[4] Oheka Castle on the Gold Coast of Long Island was a partial inspiration for Gatsby's estate.[5] After the birth of their child, the Fitzgeralds moved to Great Neck, Long Island in October 1922, a setting used as the scene for The Great Gatsby.[6] Fitzgerald's neighbors in Great Neck included such prominent and newly wealthy New Yorkers as writer Ring Lardner, actor Lew Fields and comedian Ed Wynn.[3] These figures were all considered to be 'new money', unlike those who came from Manhasset Neck or Cow Neck Peninsula, places which were home to many of New York's wealthiest established families, and which sat across a bay from Great Neck. This...
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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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