Great Gatsby American Dream

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Thesis: In this passage, Fitzgerald's stylistic choices illustrate his concern with America's path of loneliness and isolation if they continue to pursue a corrupted American dream.

Fitzgerald juxtaposes harsh commanding images & sound of nature with soft sounds and mans attempt to overpower nature in order to show mans greed in the age of the "bigger, better, faster" mentality. In this passage, Fitzgerald uses imagery and symbolism to portray his thoughts of the American dream. Fitzgerald uses vivid and lively words such as "summer," "wind," "earth," "trees," "frogs," "stars," and "heavens" to create an image of life and purity. Being a modernist, Fitzgerald believed in the power of nature, and how man made things should never be compared to those created by God. Fitzgerald continues to pair these lively words with words that signify the "bigger, better, faster" mentality. New technologies that are mentioned include "garages," "red gas-pumps," "pools of light," " abandoned grass roller," and "mansion." By using these words, Fitzgerald shows how these items of technology are beginning to mix with elements of nature, and by juxtaposing them with those words associated with creations of God, Fitzgerald can demonstrate how America was too focused in on their materialistic ways. Their new technologies such as red-gas pumps or an abandoned grass roller signify mans attempt to battle nature. Be it by using up natures' natural resources to fuel an automobile and pollute the environment, or by leaving a grass trimming device out on the lawn to kill the grass beneath it, Fitzgerald does a nice job showing mans attempts to overpower nature.

Another way Fitzgerald refers to man made objects and nature is through his diction. Fitzgerald uses alliterations to subconsciously persuade us to believe in those things created by God. When Fitzgerald writes of nature and those things that are made by God, he uses powerful sounding words such as "blown," "beating," "bright," "bellows," and "blew." When pronounced, these words have a loud and upbeat sound due to the letter B. It forces readers to imagine nature as strong and commanding. In order to further his juxtaposition, Fitzgerald ties quiet and soft alliterations with those images of technology. Fitzgerald does this when he mentions man-made luxuries and those items related to materialism such as Gatsby's mansion. Fitzgerald uses words such as "shadow," "standing," "silver," "Something," "secure," "suggested," and "share.

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