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Literary Techniques In The Great Gatsby

867 Words4 Pages

In the text, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a wide range of literary techniques to convey a lack of spirituality, and immorality. Techniques such as characterisation, symbolism, and metaphors help to cement the ideas Fitzgerald explores. However, there are some features to this world that redeem it. Which are displayed through expert execution of techniques like characterisation, contrast, and repetition. The world of The Great Gatsby is home to many morally corrupt and spiritually empty characters however, the world itself is not a spiritual and moral wasteland. Spirituality has been replaced by immorality and consumerism, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism to figuratively murder Myrtle Wilson with her own materialism. Gatsby’s …show more content…

The Gatz family are removed from the general population in the text, through their unique characterisation. Jay Gatsby is originally defined as having an “extraordinary gift for hope” (p. 2). This ‘gift for hope’ brings a positive expression to the text, and this positivity arrises whenever Nick describes Gatsby. For example, Gatsby’s smile which “understands you” (p. 51), “believes in you” (p.51), and has a “Prejudice in your favour” (p. 51), all help to lift the tone of the story. Gatsby’s father, Mr Gatz helps the reader to see the contrast between the social climbing, immoral people that this story revolves around and the average people living their normal lives. Mr Gatz’ “pride in his son” (p. 183), and overall love for Gatsby, redeems the text from being a total immoral story. Both members of the Gatz’ family, bring this hope and love to the text which redeems the world. The world of The Great Gatsby is not a spiritual and moral wasteland. F. Scott Fitzgerald has use characterisation to display the extreme moral indecency of the 1920’s New Yorker lifestyle. Through expert use of symbolism and metaphors Fitzgerald displays these characters immorality and the hollow, selfishness of their ambitions and their blatant lack of spirituality. However, the descriptions of Gatsby’s “extraordinary gift for hope” and Mr Gatz’ love for his son redeems the world from the

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