The Great Gatsby Rhetorical Analysis

The exhilarating, yet tragic story of The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald addresses the topic of materialism and the fabrication of the “American Dream” and the people living in it. The novel also questions the validity of the American Dream and if it could provide the happiness and freedom that it appeared to flaunt . The novel is set in New York, West and East Egg specifically, in 1922. It follows the story of Nick Carraway, an honest and loyal man who befriends his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who also reveals to be in love, or rather obsessed with Nick’s Cousin, Daisy Buchannan. Gatsby has been longing for Daisy ever since he had first kissed her in 1917. Fitzgerald develops his theme in Chapter six by emphasizing the importance

When describing Daisy and Gatsby's stroll, Fitzgerald writes, “They stopped here and turned toward each other. Now it was a cool night with that mysterious excitement”. Instead of setting the tone as tranquil, Fitzgerald wishes for almost a bewildering atmosphere which adds to a perplexing tone. Here stands two people that appear to be madly in love with one another, yet there is a “mysterious excitement” almost visibly floating around them. Right after this perplexing description, Fitzgerald writes “Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of sidewalk really formed a ladder”. Gatsby completely imagines the whole existence of the ladder, yet he chooses to give his undivided attention to this fantasy he creates. Gatsby has a restless ambition for something more, he will never be fully satisfied. The ladder also represents the social class that he must climb “he could climb it, if he climbed alone”. He recognizes Daisy as an obstacle to his material wealth, thus perceiving their first meeting to be less romantic and portraying Gatsby as a conceited narcissistic

Fitzgerald constantly uses figurative language throughout the novel, however this quote should be noted very closely. When describing the moments leading up to the great kiss between the “lovers” Fitzgerald writes, “He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God”. This moment changes Gatsby forever. By sharing a kiss with Daisy, Gatsby transfers his dreams and ambitions to her “perishable breath”. This states that she is mortal unlike Gatsby’s “mind of God”. He comes to the realization that he will never be able to be the powerful man he has longed for his whole life. He also now realizes that Daisy becomes the key to his ambitions. He does not fall in love with Daisy, he falls in love with the part of himself he planted on her that night of 1917, five years