Literary Tools in The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald’s use of imagery is brilliant. From the Valley of Ash to the description of Gatsby’s car, everything becomes vivid but in an unreal form, some of the imagery seems as though it comes from an unburied subconscious.

Fitzgerald consistently uses color imagery to create atmosphere in different scenes, to bring out the characters’ personalities, and to reinforce theme development. Even though he refers to a vast array of colors, they differ in prominence and influence. The most prominent color Fitzgerald uses is green. Green is significantly associated with both the green light of Daisy's dock and the "green breast of the new world," which unites the hope and promise of Gatsby' s dream with that of America itself. The color green is traditionally associated with spring, hope, and youth. Throughout the novel, green has m

Time is another device Fitzgerald uses throughout the novel. It is most important to Gatsby's character. Gatsby's relationship with time is a major aspect to the plot. He wants to erase five years from not only his own life but also Daisy's. Gatsby's response to Nick, telling him that he can repeat the past, is symbolic of the tragic irony that is behind Gatsby's fate. Gatsby exclaims on page 116, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!" Gatsby cannot accept Daisy until she erases the last three years of her life by telling Tom that she never loved him to his face. Gatsby fully believes what he says and thinks, or desperately hopes, that that is true about Daisy. At one part of the story he actually tells Nick how, as soon as Tom is out of the picture, he and Daisy were going to go to Memphis so they could get married at her white house just like it were five years before hand. In another scene, when Gatsby and Nick go to the Buchanans' for lunch towards the end of the book, Gatsby sees Daisy and Tom's child for the first time. Nick describes Gatsby's expression as one of genuine surprise and suggests that Gatsby probably never before believed in the girl's existence. Gatsby is so caught up in his dream that he becomes vulnerable to the world's brutal reality.

This is a wonderful and appropriate symbol of Gatsby’s life. Gatsby is living alone in a world of "darkness," trying to seize one small thing to bring him happiness. His life has had many shortcomings and many troubles through his younger years. He finally receives some breaks and is able make a name for himself. The longing in his heart is to have Daisy, but more importantly to have a new hope in his life. He has always kept the idea in his heart that he could be reunited with Daisy. Gatsby is striving to find a better world in the green light. Gatsby gets unbearably close to his dream, yet in all of his efforts, he comes up short in grasping the better life that he wanted. He hopes for the "green breast of the new world," the people's idea that tomorrow will bring a better day. This idea seems justifiable, yet it is far away from coming true.

any possible interpretations, but its use to explain Gatsby’s character is probably the most meaningful in the story.

Daisy, as s

Some topics in this essay:
Daisy Gatsby, Valley Ash, Owl Eyes, Nick Gatsby, Gatsby Gatsby, Daisy's Gatsby's, Inside Gatsby’s, , Daisy Tom's, TJ Eckleberg's, owl eyes, green light, daisy gatsby, color green, throughout novel, green breast world, story gatsby, green breast, fitzgerald’s imagery, fitzgerald green, green envy,