Examples Of Fitzgerald's Attitude Towards The Party In The Great Gatsby

767 Words4 Pages
In the novel, The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, Nick, the main character, attends a party that is thrown by Gatsby. Nick, at this point in the novel, has never met Gatsby and consequently, he has no idea what to expect at this party. Since it is a new experience, Nick goes into great detail about the party. Through his description of the party, the reader is able to get the feel of Nick’s attitude towards the party, particularly its shiny and superficial atmosphere and over the top nature. In order to show his attitude towards the party, Fitzgerald uses imagery to emphasize the party’s glossy nature and uses diction to hint to the reader that the party is overdone. During the description of the party, Fitzgerald uses words which evoke images of a bright and fancy party, but which also show how that is only on the surface. The party is described as cheerful with “the air is alive with chatter and laughter”, giving the sense that everyone was enjoying themselves. As the party continues, Nick narrates that “Laughter is easier minute by minute” and the reader gets the impression that it is a great party. Then Fitzgerald distorts that image as he describes the attendees as “men and girls came and went like moths”. By using the word moth, which conjures up an image of an annoying creatures, Fitzgerald shows that the parties are more of a nuisance than welcomed guests. Furthermore, the people seem to blend in with each other and seem more like a “sea-change of faces and voices