The Use of Imagery and Irony in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby has been around for ages; it is a story of a young man in the 1920’s who is thrown into a new world made up of the new and the old rich. He is confused by the way these people act and in the end cannot stay another minute in this strange, insensitive, materialistic world. The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many techniques to help the reader understand how Nick Carraway (the narrator) is feeling throughout the story. In the book The Great Gatsby, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses effective language to make his writing successful. He uses the techniques of imagery and irony to display this message. The first writing technique that makes Fitzgerald’s writing effective is the use of imagery. Nick has moved to West Egg,†¦show more content†¦New money was looked down upon by people who had old money and is shown through that description of these two places. The first person that Nick describes is Tom Buchanan, â€Å"Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward† (7).He also describes Gatsby a little while later when he is coming over to Nick’s because his long lost love (Daisy), who is Tom’s wife, is coming over for tea. â€Å"Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes† (84). Nick’s description of Tom automatically makes the reader feel lik e they don’t like him. He’s arrogant and by his description doesn’t seem very nice. This is the difference between the new rich and the old rich. Tom doesn’t show it off in clothing or material things but more in his attitude, he thinks he’s better than everyone and dominant. Gatsby, on the other hand, doesn’t have that kind of attitude. Rather he wears things to show off his wealth. He is wearing gold and silver to display that he is wealthy. The author uses imagery to help the reader understand the two worlds Nick is dealing with. The book The Great Gatsby is very ironic. The good guy sadly doesn’t win, which is very ironicShow MoreRelatedFitzgerald s Pursuit Of Wealth1487 Words   |  6 PagesFitzgerald’s Pursuit of Wealth F. Scott Fitzgerald, ‘’who was not only part of the irresponsible and extravagant life of The Roaring Twenties, but he also helped named this era, The Jazz Age with his novels.’’(Mescal Evler 587) The Roaring Twenties gave people the opportunity to become wealthy. Many people at the time of this era were making a lot of money and partying. Fitzgerald most well-known novel, The Great Gatsby, was based on The Roaring Twenties. 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