Rhetorical Strategies

·         Asyndeton: “I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler” (4).
·         Simile: “For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as  I listened—then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk”(14).

·         Polysyndeton: “By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums”(40).

·         Simile: Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets…” (86).

·         Personification: “The words seemed to bite physically into Gatsby” (132).

·         Personification: “Tom’s words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby” (133).

            In F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, he uses various types of rhetorical strategies to further enhance his sophisticated and eloquent style of writing. His use of rhetorical strategies allows the reader to live through the events rather than just reading them in a dull manner. In the beginning of the book Nick Carraway describes his feelings of loneliness until a man asks him for directions. After that moment Nick acquires a new found feeling of importance, the author writes, “I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler” (4). Through the use of asyndeton, Fitzgerald characterizes Nick’s importance and sets the stage for the entire the novel. Rather than adding conjunctions in-between each individual adjective, the use of asyndeton allows the sentence to flow while also characterizing him in all of those aspects. While describing the parties held at Gatsby’s house, the author uses polysyndeton to display how truly extravagant they are. The author writes, “By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums” (40). Rather than mentioning that a band was arriving at the party, the author lists out every instrument that is being brought in. This allows the reader to fully understand that Gatsby’s parties were more than a little get together, but a huge event. Not only does this characterize the parties, but also Gatsby’s lifestyle, which was filled with many luxurious things. Later in the novel the author uses personification to convey to the reader how hurt Gatsby is when Daisy says she loves both Tom and Gatsby. By illustrating that “The words seemed to bite physically into Gatsby” (132), Fitzgerald shows that Gatsby was much more than just emotionally in pain but almost in physical pain as well. This part in the story is catastrophic to Gatsby because throughout the entire novel, and the last five years of his life, he has built himself into a successful man in the hopes that one day Daisy will come back to him. He believed that Daisy was married to Tom as a place holder until he could fill the role, but now that idea has vanished. Fitzgerald does an excellent job of displaying Gatsby’s pain through the use of his personification to show it was much more to him than a love affair but his whole life’s goal.

Diction

·                    While Tom and Nick are visiting Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, at her husband’s shop, the author uses an arrangement of sullen diction to convey his grim tone. He describes Myrtle’s husband’s garage as “unprosperous and bare” and continues with mentioning that “the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner” (25). The high level of diction Fitzgerald uses alludes to the fact that George Wilson’s garage was much of a failure. The words “unprosperous” and “wreck” represent the sadness and obscurity that surrounds the shop. These words cannot only be used to describe his shop, but also his failing marriage. His wife Myrtle constantly leaves to spend time with Tom without him suspecting a thing. The words add to the depiction of the shop because of the negative connotation they imply. The grim tone is created by Fitzgerald to convey the betrayal that occurs in the garage behind George Wilson’s back.

·                   During Nick and Tom’s excursion to George Wilson’s garage, the area George Wilson lives in is characterized as the “valley of ashes”(23). Everything having to do with this area is described with the use melancholy diction to create a somber tone. While waiting for Myrtle Wilson to meet with them, Nick and Tom wait down the road. During this waiting period Nick views a adolescent and narrates, “a gray, scrawny Italian child…”(26). The use of the words “gray” and “scrawny” characterizes the poverty that is viewed in this area. It adds to the depiction of George Wilson’s failure and low level of society and why Myrtle is constantly leaving to spend time with Tom. Fitzgerald uses this diction to further aid his portrayal of George Wilson and the somber tone that surrounds this area.

·                  While describing Gatsby’s appearance and attitude after meeting with Daisy at Nick’s house, Fitzgerald uses a charismatic tone which is conveyed through the use of his cheerful diction. He describes Gatsby by saying, “He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room”(89). The words “glowing” and “radiated” are usually associated with brightness or happiness and they imply the happiness Gatsby has obtained from finally meeting with Daisy again. By mentioning that “[Gatsby] filled the little room”, Fitzgerald implies how Gatsby’s happiness allows him to be seen as much larger because of this new found joy he has received by finally reuniting with Daisy. This part in the story adds to the characterization of Gatsby because this is a new side to him the audience is viewing. He is no longer seen as just the mysterious wealthy man who neighbors Nick, but an affectionate man with his eyes set on Daisy.

Syntax

·          “The first supper—there would be another one after midnight—was now being served…” (44).

            While describing the lavish scene of Gatsby’s party, Fitzgerald uses interrupted word order to convey how extravagant the parties were. By using the dashes, Fitzgerald emphasizes that there would not just be one dinner that night but multiple. If he would have just said ‘The first supper was now being served’ the reader would not be able to truly understand how lavish the party was because they would have no idea that there was another dinner to follow. The use of the dashes allows the reader to pause, read the subordinate element, and continue reading. This allows Fitzgerald to add an extra emphasize in between those pauses to convey the luxury of the party and overall the luxury of the lifestyle that Gatsby lives.
       ·         “‘No,’ said Gatsby, shaking his head” (131).

        While fighting with Gatsby about whether or not Daisy is going to leave Tom for Gatsby, Tom verbally attacks Gatsby saying that Daisy loves him and always has. In response Gatsby only answers with the word no. The use of this telegraphic sentence shows Gatsby’s unwillingness to believe that Daisy loves Tom. The fact that he does not argue back shows that he is not even putting thought into the possibility of it. For the last five years Gatsby believed that Daisy did not have feelings for Tom and would someday return to Gatsby. Fitzgerald utilizes this telegraphic sentence to easily show Gatsby’s reluctance to believe that it is possible that Daisy does love Tom.
       ·         “But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came” (174).

        The days following Gatsby’s death Nick attempts to contact as many friends of Gatsby as possible to invite them to the funeral. After some time he realizes most people are turning him down, even Meyer Wolfsheim. The day of the funeral both Nick and Mr.Gatz are anxiously waiting for others to show up. When they realize no one else is; Nick accepts defeat. The telepathic sentences are utilized at the end of a large paragraph of medium length sentences. The medium length sentences convey the on-going hope that Nick and Mr.Gatz feel while waiting. The telepathic sentences display the end of the hope as they realize it is only going to be them. Fitzgerald uses two telepathic sentences in a row to convey the strong feeling of sadness both Nick and Mr.Gatz are feeling as they recognize that no one else is coming. 

Text Connections

            The novel The Great Gatsby can connect to many different movies and books, one in particular, oddly enough, the movie: Sweet Home Alabama. In the movie Melanie Carmichael marries a man named Jake Perry in a small city in Alabama. Realizing that she was destined for bigger and better things, she moves to New York in hopes to live a lavish lifestyle. While in New York she becomes engaged to the mayor’s son Andrew, a rich and successful man, destined for presidency. What Melanie does not know though, is that Jake Perry has been spending this time while she was in New York trying to build himself up to a successful man who can support the life style Melanie longs for. The characters in Sweet Home Alabama resemble closely to those of The Great Gatsby. Melanie resembles Daisy, a woman who longs for a lavish lifestyle. Andrew resembles Tom, a successful man that can support the life style Melanie and Daisy longs for. And Jake resembles Gatsby, a man who will stop at nothing to make himself into a man that Melanie and Daisy can be proud of and overall support her lifestyle. The only difference between these two stories is that at the end of Sweet Home Alabama Jake gets the girl and Gatsby sadly does not.
          Another text connection can be seen between The Great Gatsby and The Notebook. In The Notebook Ally and Noah are together for the summer just like Gatsby and Daisy are. Both couples fall in love until they are separated. Six years after their romance Ally becomes engaged to another man, Lon Hammond. Lon is a successful war hero who Ally falls in love with. During those six years Noah builds a huge house; the largest in the city. He paints the shutters blue and builds a wrap-around porch just like Ally had aspired for. Eventually Ally sees a picture of Noah and his house in a newspaper, she is reminded of the love affair she had forgotten and runs back to him. The similarities in The Great Gatsby and The Notebook are apparent through the connections of the huge house being the focal point of success in both stories. The characters The Notebook also resemble those of The Great Gatsby. Ally resembles Daisy, a woman from a wealthy family who soon marries a successful man. Lon represents Tom, the successful man that marries Ally. And Noah resembles Gatsby, a man who even after years after his romance still attempts to chase the woman of his dreams. Although some differences can be seen such as Daisy marrying Tom and Ally only being engaged, overall the novels can be connected quite well. Another difference can be seen because In The Notebook Noah does get the girl, but Nicholas Sparks would not be considered the romantic of the decade if Noah died like Gatsby.

Personal Review

            After reading the entire book I became very fond of it. Throughout the entire novel I was very on the fence if I actually did like it or not but once I reached the last few chapters I was convinced. The first read through I missed many key concepts in the book but after analyzing a bit more I realized how much of a phenomenal writer Fitzgerald is. He incorporated love, action, drama, betrayal, and many other important themes all into one book. His style and organization I found to be very sophisticated and his uses of rhetorical strategies were very abundant but not overwhelming. I found that there were actually some very funny parts including a scene where Tom alludes to Gatsby’s bootlegging but it is not picked up by anyone (121).

            Although at times I was not fond of all the characters, Tom for instance, I found them all to represent a significant part in the story. I liked how at the end it wrapped around and nothing had seemed to change between Daisy and Tom, although it was revealed both were cheating on the other. It was ironic though that the ones they were cheating on both died because of the other. Daisy killed Tom’s mistress and in a way Tom killed Daisy’s by telling George Wilson who the owner of the yellow car was.

            As seen in my text connections, I believe Fitzgerald should be credited for the basic idea of both Sweet Home Alabama and The Notebook. Although I do not think The Great Gatsby can be referred to as a great romantic story in my opinion because she ends up with the wrong guy, it is a good love story about the perseverance one can have about reaching a goal.

            Not only because of the great story it tells, but also because of the great style, usage of rhetorical strategies, and sophistication, this novel should be passed down from generation to generation. It effectively characterizes the time period, the lost generation, and failures of the American Dream. Fitzgerald shows that a happy ending is not always needed for an excellent book.