Literary Analysis

The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genre

• Historical Novel

Point of View

• 1st Person

• The story is told in flashback

Setting

• New York

–Long Island (East and West Egg)

–Summer

–1922

Symbolism

• Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s houses

Gatsby’s – gaudiness and showing off his wealth

Buchanan’s – tasteful

sophistication

• The green light- hope

Symbolism cont.

• The valley of ashes – Death• Dr. T. J. Eckleberg – God• Gatsby’s library – Gatsby’s front, he’s

all show• Gatsby’s letter to Daisy – their love• The mantle clock – time, time cut short• East and West Egg – Old

and new money

Symbolism cont.

• Gatsby and the Buchanan’s car

Gatsby’s – showy, yellow (watered down gold) Buchanan’s – understated and class

• Heat – passion, anger

Themes

• The Corruption of the American Dream

a. One is only limited by the limits of one’s dreams.

b. Gatsby believes that the dream can be bought.

c. Gatsby believes that the past can be recaptured.

Themes cont.

• Hopea. Nick reserving judgment is described as hope.b. Gatsby has an extraordinary

gift of hope.c. Gatsby never loses hope to obtain Daisy.

Themes cont.

• Paradox

a. One should be able to see that things are hopeless, and yet try to change them.

b. Nick likes Gatsby even though he stands for everything that he hates.

c. Nick is objective but refuses to take a stand.d. Nick is the only character who gains insight.e. Nick claims that he is honest, but sees no obligation to

report things to the police.

Themes cont.

• Self Discovery

a. Nick is the only character that

learns from the mistakes that have been made.

Themes cont.

• Reality vs. Illusion

a. The American Dream offers a better life, the illusion is that money alone can bring happiness.

b. Gatsby can’t distinguish between the reality of how Daisy feels about him and the fantasy.

c. Nick thinks that by going home to the Mid West, his problems will go away.

d. Jordan faces the illusion that she can lie her

way out of everything.

Themes cont.

• Possessiveness and Jealousy

a. Tom doesn’t love Daisy, but he is possessive and jealous.

b. Daisy hangs onto Tom even though she knows that he is unfaithful.

c. Gatsby feels as if he owns Daisy.

d. Tom doesn’t love Myrtle, but lies to keep her.

e. Daisy doesn’t love Gatsby, but isn’t honest

with him with her intentions.

Irony

• Tom thinks that women run around too much these days when he

is doing the same thing.

• Tom states that too many people are sneering at family values while he is having an affair

• Jay Gatsby is really James Gatz

Irony cont.

• The title: What is great about Gatsby?

–Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby

–Gatsby goes to great lengths to hide his real parents, yet he has taken good care of his father.

Irony, cont.

• Gatsby’s lies are partly true.

–Nick, Daisy’s cousin, just happened to move in next door to Gatsby.

–Meyer Wolfsheim is Jewish and owns the Swastika Holding Company.

–Only three people show

up for Gatsby’s funeral

After he had entertained thousands