The great Gatsby

INTRO: “The Great Gatsby” is the third novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and was published in the United States in 1925. It follows the story of the protagonist, Nick Carraway, and his encounter with his mysterious and wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Slowly but surely, Nick is drawn into Gatsby’s life, before realizing the complications that come with such a lifestyle.

The novel was published during the Roaring Twenties, or Jazz Age, as Fitzgerald calls it, and showcases the luxury of upper class society at the time. Extravagant parties are the result of newfound prosperity, which was made possible with the Prohibition.  

However, Fitzgerald denounces this lavishness and criticizes the hypocrisy of the upper class: through Gatsby’s character, we are able to follow the downfall of this wealthy figure, and the way he fails to achieve his real aspirations because of his obsession with the past. The rich are portrayed as shallow, materialistic, and the entire novel is a pessimistic examination of the so called “American Dream”.

In this presentation, we will explore how Fitzgerald gives a powerful critique of American society during the 1920’s through this novel. As a result, we will analyze the themes of Society and Class, Wealth and The American Dream presented in the book, as well as give an analysis of the rhetorical devices used in the novel.

FIRST: The first, and probably most obvious theme, is the one of Class and Society in the USA at that time. Fitzgerald gives a thorough criticism of the social hierarchy in his novel, mainly through the characters of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Through the description of the various classes in America at the time, mainly the upper class, Fitzgerald shows the complexities as well as the hypocrisy of these people who seem so attached to the social hierarchy.

Oxymoron: “Mr Wolfishiem, forgetting the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropol, began to eat with ferocious delicacy.” The oxymoron represents the barbarity and courtesy Mr Wolfishiem shows when eating his meal: it serves to show the difference between the manners assimilated with the upper classes and the way they act despite their social status. This points to the deeper contradiction of the upper class that Wolfishiem and Gatsby belong to. 

Personification: “Occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest…”. As he portrays the movement of the cars as they drive past the scene, Fitzgerald employs the literary device of personification. Fitzgerald shows that the Valley of Ashes is the place where several of the less fortunate and lower-class members of society reside and work. This personification helps to insist on the contrast between the lower and upper classes.

In the world of “The Great Gatsby”, class influences all aspects of life, but most importantly, love. As we see in the story, class has a strong influence on the relationship between various characters, and is even a key element in the success or failure of some couples marriages. Only the most affluent couple is immune to the failure of their relationship.

Epizeuxis:  “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!' shouted Mrs. Wilson. 'I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai-“ These exclamations are expressed by Mrs. Wilson, Tom Buchanan’s lover. Here, the use of an epizeuxis shows Myrtle’s desire to stand up to Tom and conveys the intensity of her emotions. In his eyes, Myrtle is only another meaningless possession. Myrtle’s frustration and desperation are also made clear, and it is shown that her relationship with Tom is destined to fail because of their social differences.

SECOND: Another important theme found in the book is wealth, or rather Jay Gatsby’s sudden acquirement of it. Fitzgerald draws a contrast between the aristocracy, those with old money like Daisy and Tom, and those with new money, such as Gatsby.

Symbolism: Symbol, the green light; The green light appear many times in the novel, and represent Gatsby’s dreams and hope, mostly regarding his love for Daisy. It may also represent everything that haunts him and makes him incapable of enjoying the present without going back to his past. Finally, it could also be interpreted as a reference to wealth, as green is usually the color attributed to money.

Even tough the main characters all share a similar financial situation, they perceive each other in very different lights and lead dissimilar lives. But in the end, both types of wealth turn out to be corrupt in the same way: as they amass more and more money, their consideration of other people decreases.

Irony: “Nobody wants to come to Gatsby’s funeral, even though everyone wanted to come to his parties”

People did not care about Gatsby, they were only interested in being invited to his parties because it was for them an opportunity to drink during prohibition. Most of the people used Gatsby to enjoy his wealth and the luxury of the American dream. None of them were actually his real friends, as they all acted superficial in order to take advantage of his wealth.

...