•Symbolism: “Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. ‘God sees everything,’ repeated Wilson” (Pages 159-160).
•Simile: “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Page 39).
• Metaphor: “When he realized what I was talking about, that there were twinkle bells of sunshine in the room…” (Page 89).
• Hyperbole: “He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive” (Page 26).
• Repetition: “…a small living room, a small dining room, a small bedroom…” (Page 29).
• Personification: “It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down” (Page 9).
Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a number of rhetorical strategies to convey his both underlying and obvious themes, and to create the magical and wondrous tone that was alive during the roaring 20’s. One of the strategies Fitzgerald uses is deep and ominous symbolism. He writes, “Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. ‘God sees everything,’ repeated Wilson” (Pages 159-160). In this example, Nick is highlighting the connection Wilson made with the giant eyes on the old advertisement to the eyes of God, and that both Doctor Eckleburg and God’s eyes see everything that happens within the corrupt lives of the New York socialites. Another strong device that Fitzgerald uses is the simile to help describe the mindset of the time. While visiting one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties, Nick describes how, “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Page 39). Nick reveals the fantasy and innocence of Gatsby’s guests, which conveys the story-like mindset during the carefree era. “Men and girls” danced around, not only through the garden, but throughout their fanciful lives as well.
I really enjoyed your analysis of the symbolism of the Eckleberg sign and its significance in the story, that both the sign and God are all seeing, and both bear witness to all of the illegal or promiscuous activity in the world of east and west egg. In this regard I do not know that I would call Gatsby's guests "innocent," as the focus of the party scene at Gatsby's mansion and in the entire novel is that there are very few moral standards that these people adhere to, and they all live to bask in their own and Gatsby's wealth, reveling in their sleazy drunkenness for hours on these evenings. I think (I may be wrong) that "Men and girls" is just the way Fitzgerald chooses to refer to the guests, and that the use of 'girls' doesn't really portray innocence, as that is an element distinctly absent at Gatsby's soirees.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your examination of the symbolism of the sign and how the eyes were like God watching everyone throughout the book sin. It is true that people view God as someone that sees everything and also as someone who will punish you for unreasonable and unnecessary acts of sin. I enjoyed the way that you described Gatsby's guest as "innocent" because of the way that he compares men to girls. When saying the word "men," most people think of grown males that have matured, while when saying the word "girls," people think more of young and sheltered females.
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