Examples Of Foreshadowing In The Great Gatsby

‘The Great Gatsby’ is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1925. The novel is based in America during 1920s Jazz Age. Fitzgerald was known as a social critic as he exposed the harsh reality of America during the Jazz Age through the novel. The novel is revealed and explored through Nick Carraway’s eyes as he narrates the story. Fitzgerald enhances literary techniques such as simile to demonstrate the theme of American society and class during the 1920s. The theme of love between Gatsby and Daisy is portrayed by applying foreshadowing. Symbolism is used to represent and convey the ideas of The Great American Dream throughout ‘The Great Gatsby’.

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses similes to enhance and portray American society and class

during the Jazz Age in ‘The Great Gatsby’. Fitzgerald describes Gatsby's party guest as “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” Men and girls are described as moths being attracted to the light; champagne, stars and gossip. The use of simile highlights that the guests are moths and therefore are night creatures, who cannot be distinguished from one another and thus have no individuality or personality.
The theme of love is prevalent in ‘The Great Gatsby’ which is demonstrated through the literary technique of foreshadowing.

Gatsby and Daisy reunite after five years at Nick’s house where a clock sits on the mantle. As a result of nervousness Gatsby accidentally knocks the clock over. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the clock to foreshadow to the little time left for Gatsby and also refers to the time lost. Another example of foreshadowing is when Daisy sobs over Gatsby shirts. "They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such- such beautiful shirts before.” Daisy is portrayed as a beautiful yet, shallow minded and materialistic woman. The novel foreshadows Gatsby’s and Daisy’s separation as Daisy’s love for Gatsby is completely

superficial.
Throughout the ‘The Great Gatsby’ symbolism is applied in order to portray The Great American Dream during the Jazz Age.

Fitzgerald uses symbolism predominantly to express the significance of the green light. The green light located at the end of Daisy Buchannan’s dock represent Gatsby’s ultimate aspiration and hope to reunite with Daisy and win her love back. The green also symbolises the American dream as Gatsby believes he has to be rich in order to win Daisy. “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling.” Gatsby’s quest is dominantly associated with The Great American Dream, as he is close yet still chasing after the unattainable. While he has wealth and possessions, he is still unable to find true happiness. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg looking over the Valley of Ashes symbolises God’s eyes in George Wilson grief-stricken mind. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness” Nick describes Tom and Daisy as careless people who retreat to the safety of their money and their lavish ways of life as they are from higher society and class. Fitzgerald uses symbolism to portray Gatsby’s ultimate ambition to reunite with Daisy and also to reveal the truth of The Great American

Dream.

In conclusion, ‘The Great Gatsby’ conveys and demonstrates several literary techniques through the themes of the novel. Using similes, Fitzgerald portrays American society and class during the 1920s. He describes Gatsby’s party guests as moths since they are attracted to the light and have no individuality. Through the literary technique of foreshadowing, Fitzgerald hints that Daisy’s love for Gatsby is completely superficial as she is only interested in his money. Fitzgerald applies symbolism to express the significance of the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock and also the Valley of Ashes portraying the ultimate Great American Dream during the Jazz Age. Overall ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a novel full of rich and interesting literary techniques portraying many themes throughout the book.