Examples Of Figurative Language In The Great Gatsby

The lavish gatherings that overflow with opulence, represent a larger symbol of emptiness and superficiality that comes with success and wealth. These parties fill Gatsby’s loneliness Gatsby states how he fulfills his emptiness by stating, “I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night, and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye” (Fitzgerald, 45). Gatsby describes his liking for New York because it is filled with so many different things that entertain him with all the money and yet boredom he has. His parties along with the connecting idea of him moving to New York tie into the same simple fact that the parties and entertainment are merely a facade to maintain the illusion of prosperity. As his wealth grows, the feeling of emptiness will grow in people, Gatsby is simply a representation of this feeling.

Imagery plays an important role in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald used imagery when Gatsby was talking to Nick at his house after one of his tarnished parties. The author describes the broken path Nick talks about which helps connect the theme of loss and heartbreak. Nick had stated, “He broke off and began to walk up and down a desolate path of fruit rinds and discarded favors and crushed flowers,” (Fitzgerald 109). The crushed flowers symbolize Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy.

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a variety of imagery to create contrasting moods. Three settings in the novel showcase this: the Buchanan’s estate, Gatsby’s mansion, and the Valley of Ashes. At the Buchanans’ luxurious estate, Fitzgerald brings the home and its inhabitants to life by creating a depthless sense of affluence. The manor is initially portrayed as a beautiful place, with Nick describing it as a “cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion” (Fitzgerald 9).

The great Gatsby signifies the power-hungry, the weak, and the imbalances between the two. One of the main modernist views within the great Gatsby is the working class vs wealthy. The working class and

Gatsby’s extravagant parties and lifestyle reflected the recklessness of the wealthy society he belonged to. In the novel, Gatsby throws lavish parties with no expense spared, and his guests engage in excessive drinking and reckless behavior. “People were not invited - they went there”. (Fitzgerald 52) Gatsby’s parties and lifestyle are indicative of the reckless behavior that characterizes the wealthy society he is part of.

Imagery is a literary device that uses figurative language to describe objects, actions, and ideas. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, imagery acts as a luminary as it is often utilized to portray symbolism throughout the entire book. The author introduces the readers to a frenetic party in chapter three in which an environment with poise is disrupted by a large crowd of people. At Gatsby’s party, numerous denizens from East Egg, West Egg, and the Valley of Ashes showed up to mingle and have fun. Though, this party was not all that as the aloof individuals believed they were superior when in reality they were just bellicose.

Gatsby’s house is located in West Egg, the “new money” area of Long Island, and is first described by Nick as “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy”(Fitzgerald 7) referencing a monstrous political venue in France. But despite the colossal-ness of the house, it is seemingly empty with the exception of Gatsby and his servants. Gatsby’s justification for such an empty house is revealed when Nick attends and describes the monstrous parties that Gatsby hosts. The madness of the parties that house orchestras, multiple servants, and upscale hors-d’oeuvre is a perfect representation of the elaborateness of the roaring twenties. It illustrates a prosperous decade filled with music, dancing, and most importantly wealth.

The American dream is a phantom of an idea created by the aspiring dream of Amercans. In The Great Gatsby, this idea is portrayed by Fitzgerald uncovering the flaws of what his characters most desire. Throughout the novel, it is shown through the success and faults of each character and how they see the American dream. Although the American dream, seen from an outsider's point-of-view, is a way of life that consists of making one’s way to a more wealthy and successful lifestyle – it can be deceiving.

In life, others see many examples of people with all the riches of the world, but don’t end up with merriment and satisfaction. Throughout the story of The Great Gatsby, the reader is given perspective on the rich and poor conflicts of the roaring 20’s, where people either live in luxury or live in dirt. A character by the name of Jay Gatsby has all this wealth but isn’t happy because of a missing desire for the love of Daisy Buchanan. The author explores this idea through items and events that exploit the character of Jay Gatsby’s loneliness. In The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals how material wealth does not bring happiness through symbols of the Green Light, the extravagant parties, and the pool.

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the parties and social gatherings motif to prove that the American Dream and wealth create careless people. At the beginning of the novel, The Great Gatsby, the use of parties and social gatherings helps display the power of wealth. Nick had just recently moved into Gatsby’s neighborhood, and he was attending one

Scott Fitzgerald teaches this lesson in The Great Gatsby through the life of Jay Gatsby and his obsession with wealth. Throughout the first half of the book, we learn that Gatsby has been throwing extravagant parties where the guests simply know him as “...just a man named Gatsby” (Page 48). This is important because it shows how wealth doesn’t affect Gatsby’s social status as nobody knows who Gatsby really is. Gatsby desires money in order to court Daisy but gaining that wealth leads him into shady business which negatively affects him overall and makes him want to make even more money. Gatsby’s loneliness is further shown in Gatsby’s funeral where “...

The 1920’s was a time of economic boom and prosperity. The riches and glamour of the time period were idolized by those living then, but many people were not aware of the shadowy side of The Jazz Age. The characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel represent the people of the 1920’s who were surrounded by material items and a surface of artificial happiness. In The Great Gatsby the East and West Eggs, Myrtle’s apartment, and the use of opposing colors, like black and white used throughout the book are all symbols that represent the duality of the time period.

"Exploring the Differences Between West Egg and East Egg in The Great Gatsby" The setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gatsby’ is 1920’s New York, more specifically the Long Island community of East Egg and West Egg. At the start of the novel, East Egg and West Egg residents are similar on the surface. This is due to the fact that both are communities of wealthy individuals. As the story progresses, clear differences can be seen between East Egg’s “old money” inhabitants and West Egg’s “new money” population.

The American dream is a phantom of an idea created by the aspired dream of Amercans. In The Great Gatsby, this idea is portrayed by Fitzgerald uncovering the flaws of what his characters most desire. Throughout the novel, it is shown through the success and faults of each character and how they see The American dream. Although the American dream, seen from an outsider's point-of-view, is a way of life that consists of making one’s way to a more wealthy and successful lifestyle – it can be deceiving.

The fact that people would use him for his parties and no one came to his funeral justifies the emptiness of the time period and the selfishness of the people. At the end of the book after Gatsby had died, Nick goes into the mansion and remarks how truly empty it is. Gatsby’s mansion is a crucial symbol that reflects the feeling of emptiness and the greediness of the characters during that time