In “The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald’s Opulent Synthesis (1925)”, Robert and Helen Roulston express Fitzgerald’s doubts about the novel. At first, Fitzgerald is not happy with the title because he believes it does not accurately reflect the theme of Gatsby as a victim of the American Dream. Many aspects of the novel reflect events and people in Fitzgerald’s life. Robert and Helen Roulston analyze the similarities between the characters and people in Fitzgerald’s past. The authors also examine the artistic elements in the novel and compare Fitzgerald to other authors. Focusing on style, the article reveals the formal and informal language with literary and traditional elements used to create depth in Nick’s character. Artistic elements in the novel included irony, prose, tragedy, satire, compassion, rhetorical devices, fantasy, and sharp characterizations. Fitzgerald cleverly combined all of the elements to make the story flow effortlessly.
Robert and Helen Roulston’s article effectively provides a deeper understanding of The Great Gatsby by presenting background information on Fitzgerald’s personal connections with the novel and examining character development, structure, and literary devices. Knowledge of Fitzgerald’s past enables the
…show more content…
Robert and Helen Roulston’s article “The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald’s Opulent Synthesis (1925)” thoroughly explains background information on the article to enhance the reader’s understanding of the novel. Explaining the personal connection of Fitzgerald to the characters and meaning of the literary devices is very helpful to the reader. Understanding the author allows a deeper understanding of the novel. Without Fitzgerald’s personal experiences, the novel would not be as interesting and would not have the depth that it possesses. Fitzgerald is able to greatly express Nick’s desire to go back to the Midwest because he was feeling the same. The article does an excellent job at examining every character and symbolism of that