Chapter 1 Analysis of The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

Chapter 1 Analysis of The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby- this title is merely an adjective or epithet for the

main character of the story, which brings about the importance of

characterization in the book. Fitzgerald has a rather unique style of

characterization in his writing- especially in this book. His use of

irony, strong diction and symbolism plays a significant role in

conveying his certain ideologies about the people of this certain era,

and the embodiment of the "great American dream".

The eye of the story- Fitzgerald's weapon of observation is Nick

Carraway. This character is established as a neutral narrator of the

whole story and its characters, who are obsessed with class and

privilege. However, he is not an inactive narrator. This literary

device helps us get closer to Gatsby's myth/man character. Carraway

comes from a background of wealth and sophistication. He begins the

novel by commenting on himself and believes that "Reserving judgements

is a matter of infinite hope." Thus, he has a tendency to reserve

judgement and understand people without holding them up to his

personal standards.

It is introduced to the readers that Carraway is humble, open and

receptive because of the philosophy that has been passed down to him

from his father. He seems quite tolerant and reveals a very pleasant

personality. However, he sometimes has to make excuses for not

listening to others. This shows honesty in him and how he speaks the

truth about himself. Fitzgerald gets across his character by using a

chain of words which represent his personality. Words like "levity"

establish his lightness of tone and humour. W...

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...this scene, we first see Gatsby

reaching out towards a green light that he "cannot grasp", which is an

example of Fitzgerald's powerful use of symbolism in the novel. The

green-light represents something that Gatsby is striving to gain

possession of.

Over all, F.Scott Fitzgerald presents a unique style of

characterization in the way that it varies with each character. To

stress on the contrast between the personalities, he uses a difference

in tone, diction and creativity to convey the main features in the

characters, and does this very successfully. With the use of Carraway

as an active narrator, he creates a bond of trust with his keen eye to

observe and analyse. With this device, we obtain a vivid and

dichotomous impression for each character, which anticipates many

ironies and further impressions yet to come.