Great Gatsby

• The Great Gatsby
• Through Nicks narration Gatsby becomes as impossible as the dream that Nick forces him to embody
• Wilson is a minor character presented as ”anemic“ and blends into the valley of ashes and becomes a product of his environment -he clings onto the little he has .Juxtaposes with Tom both act instinctively however T has money so gets away with it. Wilson holds onto the eyes of TJ Eckleburg, as he’s desperate for a higher power
• It’s a tragedy of all the people who failed to climb society
• “throw me down and beat me “ Myrtle says to Wilson , showing her begging to be degraded by a male - women as commodities
• Valley of ashes . Fitzgerald shows hedonism but juxtaposes it with the decay and destruction . The dust permeates the novel its a barren wasteland .liminal space to get into new york left to stagnagnate
• Gertrude Stein named ”The Lost Generation”
• The eyes area a symbol of God being replaced by consumerism “dimmed by many paintless days” .Critiques Americans neglect of spiritual values where there is no moral centre .

  The yellow glasses represent Gatsbys illusion with yellow and gold . His car and gold tie They become interlinked .But in the heat of chapter 7 fake gold melts and is tested by the relationship with Dairy and reveals his true identity
• Nick manipulates the chronology of the novel with its retrospectI’ve narration - in order to create a sense of doom
• The structure of seasons , summer and flowers blossoming ( Gatsby and daisy ) autumn decay and the death
• Nick and JOrdans relationship - his fascination is superficial “half in love” and interest in her casual detachment.
• Nicks misogynistic attitude , never considers the women’s feelings views them as selfish .
• Contrast to Myrtle and Gatsby death

  He continues to sexualise Myrtle even in her death through grotesque imagery

  Gatsby her continues to romanticise him even in death
• Socrates said “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have”. Gatsby wants too much of Daisy
• Gatsby is seen stretching his hand out over the cold bay which Nick doesn’t understand since he has everything

  “I could have sworn they were trembling “-suggests Gatsby can not sustain this anymore and been there too long
• Natural attraction to wealth and power - that’s what Gatsby represents. However he holds shame in his lower class upbringing , and creates a persona Through lavish displays.
• Notion of who is watching through the symbol of eyes , not through actions as the characters don’t hold a lot of remorse
• Gatsby tries to reclaim what he was lost when he met Daisy pre war. A part of this distorted grief reaction Gatsby can’t move forward in life and so he idealises Daisy and who she was with an inability to see the flaws. That is the green light .
• It is reflective on the jazz age for Fitzgerald himself to explore his feeling at this point in his life but also takes a satirical angle to expose a fragmented society.

  Does so through themes like setting , class and gender
• settings ironic impact in claiming to be they “land of the free”
• claims to be a classless society , but this is false seen through the embedded division in social hierarchy seen through the eggs.(old and new money )
• Jay Gtasby embodies new money is

  West egg is “ostentatious”
• Nick says how in West egg some of these places are” rented” proving the money is note established compared to east egg
• Gatsbys “ imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy” satirical as its obvious this is new and holds no heritage to his wealth. Creating a sense of Gatsby being untagible his new money and ”rented “ house can easily leave with no trace linking to how interchangeable the new money are in capitalist a capitalist society
• East egg is “ across the courtesy bay” preposition reflects the social and physicall distance from west egg.

  The “white palaces” create a pure feeling ironic considering tom has possible links to chicagos meat trade which is unclean money
• colour imagery used .

  daisy as white- pure and naive , however also her hollow vacuous nature
• valley of ashes is grey not so far from there “White” its a liminal middle ground that forebodes tragedy , it is doomed if they carry on acting the way they do so carelsseley. Message to realise the glitz and glamour of the jazz age is a really cruel capitalist world
• Setting is used to portray despite our differences there are similarities in each setting - as humans we are all flawed
• ”Georgian colonial mansion” adjective phrase with polysyllabic attributive adjectIves gives us the idea of power with their wealth.Georgian suggests their wealth dates back to 1600s.
• New York herd mentality and lack of indivualism is shown through “ constant flicker of men and women” The adverbial phrase “constant flicker”.Not everyone can have the boom without the bust - bust is shown through the valley of ashes
• “so we beat on boats against the current , borne back ceaselessly into the past” ultimate metaphorical declarative , poignantly illustrated the tragic trajectory of gatsbys life.

  The presently participle clause ” ceaselesy into the past” shows time as a relentless force , gatsby is consumed by his insatiable desire to recapture the past
• Gatbys harmartia is huis delusional confidence that he can recreate the halcyon days of his youth
• Final lines of the novella portray gatsbys doomed pursuit of the unattainable lie of the American dream highlighting the inherent tragedy of his huabristical actions
• In chapter 9 though the different reactions of gatsbys death its a stark reflection on the shallowness and superficiality of society in 1920s America a :”Godless society”
• fitz uses tom to represent the conscedning and haughty nature of the upper class in 1920s
• The pre modifying noun phrase ”rather hard mouth” said about Tom connotes his harsh nature and contempt for others also foreashadowing his cruel racist ideas.
• Nick is used to show the hypocrisy of the American dream
• Theme of inequality is prevelant in chapter 1 Jordan “you live in West Egg‘ she remarked contemptuously ” The adverb “contemptuously“ suggests those who come from aristocracy look down on those who made their own wealth. Immediately hints at the impossibility of the American dream . If erveyone is not equal how are people suppose to move up the social ladder especially when they have a different starting point
• Tom is an emblem for a patriarchal society though his abusive demeanour towards daisy

  Noun phrase” a body capable of enormous leverage - a cruel body“ this distinct contrast to daisys fragility. With JOrdan ” in white dresses were rippling and fluttering”. Adjective cruel emphasises his hypermasculinity and ability to asssert dominance physically and due to his social position
• noun phrase about daisys manerism “ absurd little laugh” the juxtaposing adjectives reflect nicks common habbbit in being unreliable at narration. Imply daisy is putting on a mask to conform to women in 1920s but its insincere.

  ‘Little ‘ shows despite her financial situation she lacks power because of gender inequalities