Gatsby house

• 'a colossal affair by any chance standard - it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy.' pg11


  quantifying intensifier 'colossal'

  ecological lens - new america copying

  'affair' connotes immorality
• His house is a performance of European class, a phony imitation, like himself, of old wealth and status
• 'music from my neighbours house through the summer nights. in his blue gardens men and women came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagnes and the stars' pg41 


  elusive, attracting guest

  zoomorphic simile

  'blue' connotes mystery, sadness, loss

  'whisperings' euphemism for secrets
• 'the light grows brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun' pg42


  motif

  present verb 'lurches' departs earth from reality into dreams - american dream
• 'automobiles which bore them out to long island and somehow they ended up at Gatsby's door' pg43

  modernity of 1920s

  verb 'bore' suggests passive experience

  adverbial phrase 'somehow'

  transient and superficial nature of the constant pursuit of excitement
• "Gatsby's door" 


  Metonymy stands in for Gatsby's mansion and, by extension, Gatsby himself. This use of metonymy emphasizes how Gatsby's home and his social events are extensions of his identity and allure.
• Fitzgerald not only paints a vivid picture of the era and its social dynamics but also subtly critiques the aimlessness and superficiality of the characters' lives.

  The passive and somewhat random nature of their journey to Gatsby's highlights the existential emptiness that pervades the novel
• 'your house looks like the worlds fair' pg79 


  hyperbolic simile

  cultural reference
• Cultural Reference:

  The World's Fair was a significant event known for showcasing cutting-edge technology, culture, and architecture. By referencing it, Nick connects the house to themes of modernity, extravagance, and cultural significance, reflecting the values of the Jazz Age.
• 'his bedroom was the simplest room of all. except where his dresser was garnished with a toilet set of pure dull gold' pg88-89


  juxtapositions e.g. 'dull gold'

  FG delves into the contradictions and complexities of Gatsby's persona
• The opulence of the gold toilet set amidst the simplicity of the room serves as a metaphor for Gatsby's life—an outward display of wealth masking deeper, more modest desires, and perhaps an underlying sense of inadequacy or longing for something more genuine.
• 'see how the whole front of it catches the light' pg87

  motif

  personification
• 'a sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows... endowing with complete isolation the figure of the host' pg56


  personification

  contrasting imagery

  'emptiness' symbolises unfulfillment of AD
• Conveys a profound sense of emptiness and isolation. It highlights the transient nature of Gatsby's social life and underscores the central theme of loneliness, despite outward appearances of wealth and success. This moment encapsulates the tragedy of Gatsby's character—surrounded by people yet deeply alone.
• 'the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams.' pg171


  superlative - F uses G to embody human dreams

  ecological lens

  personification 'pander'

  temporal shift to past tense

  moral cost of unchecked ambition