Gatsby Essay

Submitted By Adam-Nasser
Words: 508
Pages: 3

Adam Nasser
Mr. Bruce Smith
AP English Language and Composition
24 November 2014
" Symbolism and Irony"

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Gatsby chased his American dreams and ended up being seduced and mislead by love. Gatsby and Daisy both intentionally work towards rekindling their love. By his actions, Gatsby introduces two different ideas to each other. In Fitzgerald’s The
Great Gatsby, the reader’s view of the social classes are challenged through the use of irony, symbolism, and flashbacks in order to depict the dissimilarities of the social classes.

Using dramatic irony, Fitzgerald reveals that “American dreams” are not always achieved in a moral way. American citizens were often focused on their own goals and desires and were not focused on the externalities of their actions. Irony is evident during a conversation
Nick has with the strange Mr. Wolfsheim. Mr. Wolfsheim makes a rather ironic and peculiar statement to Nick Carraway, “Yeah, Gatsby’s very careful about women. He would never as much as look at a friend’s wife.” (Fitzgerald 72) Gatsby was in love with Tom’s wife Daisy, and unsurprisingly, Gatsby and Tom are friends connected by wealth and ignorance. Since readersn know about the relationship between Gatsby and Tom, Gatsby’s statement is obviously ironic in nature. Later on in the novel, Nick holds another conservation with Mr. Wolfsheim: “The
Swastika Holding Company…presently a lovely Jewess appeared at an interior door and scrutinized me with hostile eyes.” (Fitzgerald 170) The author executes dramtic irony by including a Jew in a Swatsika Holding company. This ironic statement was essential for me in being immersed in the time period and symbolized the racism present in the time period.

The author uses symbolism to reveal Gatsby’s true, inner self. The author describes
Gatsby’s clothing to portray his wealth. This statement is able to portray his wealth, but at the same time portray his inner feelings. “For this strikingly­handsome Gatsby, to be so noticeable anxious, is far from his well­put together facade.” (Fitzgerald 84) Fitzgerald also uses colors and lights to