The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis

In Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” the character Jay Gatz or “Jay Gatsby” is portrayed as this nice, mysterious person, who in the beginning of the novel we really know nothing about, but as the story goes on we learn more and more about his personality and the types of things he is hiding behind all of his money and elaborate parties. In the story it says “He smiled understandingly- much more than understandingly” on page 52. This quote characterizes Gatsby as a sly, secretive and basically just a knowing guy. He also is lonely, even though the book doesn't actually say this I can infer that it is true because of the way that he surrounds himself with all of these strangers that are so called “friends” of Gatsby’s at his parties, hoping for Daisy Buchanan to show up to one of them, but when it comes down to the end of the story at Gatsby’s funeral, all of his “friends” were too busy or just uninterested in attending his funeral in honor of his life. Fitzgerald also used symbolism well to tell his story. For example, the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock was a symbol of hope for Gatsby that he, one day, would be reunited with Daisy. In the beginning of the novel he is described reaching out to the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock as if he was trying to touch it. “...he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (chapter 1). The way that Fitzgerald uses imagery in his novel makes the words basically come right off the page and into the space in front of you. The way he tells the story is with such vivid detail that it is almost overwhelming. For example, when Nick first attended Gatsby’s party he gives a very clear description of what he saw. “I looked around. Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands. … One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young actress, and his wife, after attempting to laugh at the situation in a dignified and indifferent way, broke down entirely and resorted to flank attacks – at intervals she appeared suddenly at his side like an angry diamond, and hissed: ‘You promised!’ into his ear” (chapter 3). In conclusion, the writing style of F. Scott Fitzgerald can be intense