Theme

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One of the most important themes of The Great Gatsby is that of the struggle between one's true personality and that which they attempt to portray to others. Gatsby, since meeting Dan Cody, seems to have been under the impression that the way one appears to others is more important than the content of one's character, or hard work. He seems to have an absolute disdain for hard, honest work, as he wrote off the unpleasant janitorial work with which he was supposed to earn his tuition at St. Olaf as a "ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny" (Fitzgerald 105). This exposes his attitude that he is somehow above hard work, as his “destiny” is greater than those of the people around him who must follow society’s normal laws. His parties convey his superficial confidence, as they are extravagant and full of his “friends”. However, the reality of his life, that he is essentially a lonely, insecure charlatan, is exposed with his interactions with Daisy, and especially, after his death. Nick desperately tries to find people to come and mourn after Gatsby dies, and imagines Gatsby’s usually confident voice saying, “you've got to get somebody for me [...] I can’t go through this alone” (Fitzgerald 173). This is perhaps the strongest evidence for the failure of Gatsby’s actions to produce actual happiness and real relationships. Although many people were “friends” with Gatsby when it was convenient and fashionable to do so, when he needed them most, they failed to uphold the friendship. Gatsby’s life and death represent a failure in the superficial life Gatsby, and many others, pursued and depended upon.

The lasting lesson of The Great Gatsby, to me, is that one cannot successfully, in the long term, pretend to be someone they are not. Gatsby attempted this, and in the end, he died a lonely and pathetic man. Hard work and mistakes are necessary for happiness and prosperity, and any route by which supposed success is otherwise achieved is not healthy and will ultimately result in irreparable damage, to oneself or others.  

Author's Style

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Imagery: 
Fitzgerald uses extensive imagery in The Great Gatsby. This helps the reader feel immersed in the setting of the book. He uses imagery to describe Gatsby's party with the description, "The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun" (Fitzgerald 44), and, "the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light" (Fitzgerald 45). This description allows the reader to understand more clearly the mood and extravagance of Gatsby's parties, which are telling about the image he is trying to maintain. Another important symbol described using imagery is that of "the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg" (Fitzgerald 27). These eyes most likely symbolize God, who is thought to be watching all of the objectionable activities of the book take place. His location in the "valley of ashes" is important, because this valley is part of the route between West Egg and New York, which is frequented by the main characters. Numerous other examples of imagery exist in the book, and they all have the effect of portraying very strongly the setting of the story, and important symbols and metaphors.

Diction:
Fitzgerald makes extensive use of scholarly diction throughout the book. Two examples of this type of diction are "fractiousness" (Fitzgerald 11) and "infinitesimal" (Fitzgerald 180, meaning readily angered and extremely small, respectively. Although these two examples cannot perfectly represent his diction throughout the book, they convey the importance to Fitzgerald of picking precisely the correct word to describe something. Far more usual words could have been chosen, but they would not have had the same, exact effect that these academic words had. He additionally uses bright, colorful diction throughout the book when describing scenes and characters. He uses "bright" (Fitzgerald 14) to describe Daisy, and "glow" (Fitzgerald 44) to describe Gatsby's party.

Syntax:
Fitzgerald uses several different types of syntax in the book. He makes frequent use of compound, complex, and comp-complex syntax simply because simpler sentences could not have portrayed in such detail and accuracy the scenes and moods of the story. Cumulative syntax is used for the same purpose, as it allows Fitzgerald to describe things using a listing of adjectives or descriptive phrases. Occasional juxtaposition is used very effectively to assert the paradoxical relations between two seemingly unlike subjects or moods. For example, in his bed, Gatsby was haunted by the "most grotesque and fantastic conceits" (Fitzgerald 105). These two adjectives, with negative and positive connotations, respectively, are not usually used together, but they describe Gatsby's ambitions well, as he has "fantastic" dreams, but is willing to use "grotesque" methods, most likely through illegal money-making schemes, to make them reality,

Tone: 
The tone of The Great Gatsby is generally reminiscent, as Nick, the narrator, tells events from his memory with a calm and accepting manner. This makes some scenes, such as when Myrtle was struck and killed by Gatsby's car, and when Gatsby was shot at his pool, seem unnaturally calm. Of course, since Nick had experienced these events firsthand, he was surely more emotional at the time of the incident.

Literary Elements:
The story is set in West and East Egg, as well as New York City. This gives the story a glamorous, wealthy mood, as these are areas known for their wealth and luxury. The "valley of ashes", which lies between the Eggs and New York, is far poorer, and symbolizes the "real world", which is one almost entirely separate from that of Gatsby and the Buchanans. The characters of Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, and Nick are all quite round, and are dynamic. Jordan, as well as more minor characters, is relatively flat and unchanging. The story is told entirely from Nick's point of view, which makes the book more easily understood by the reader, as his emotions and views on certain events are conveyed, to an extent.

Organization:
The book is organized almost entirely in chronological order, save for a few points at which Nick deems it necessary to jump forward or backward in time to clarify something or make a point. This makes the book enjoyable and easy to comprehend, because everything takes an expected and consistent order, unlike other stories which jump forward and backward almost constantly.

Type of Writing:
The Great Gatsby is a narrative intended primarily for entertainment, but it also attempts to persuade the reader of the dangers of greed and attempting to be someone one really is not. 

Figurative Language

"Tom talked incessantly, exulting and laughing, but his voice was as remote from Jordan and me as the foreign clamor on the sidewalk or tumult of the elevated overhead. [...] Thirty--the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair. [...] As we passed over the dark bridge...the formidable stroke of thirty died away with the reassuring pressure of her hand" (Fitzgerald 143).

In this passage, Tom and Gatsby have just had their fight, which left the other characters feeling uncomfortable and upset. Tom, Nick, and Jordan are in the car on the way home from New York.

Fitzgerald uses connotative diction with "exulting" and "laughing" (143) to allow the reader to understand just how upset Tom was after the argument with Gatsby. These words have positive connotations, so using them to describe Tom's actions when he was undoubtedly unhappy makes Tom appear somewhat crazy and unstable. Fitzgerald uses a metaphor with "sidewalk" (143) to describe the rift felt between Tom, who was incessantly babbling, and Nick and Jordan, who were sitting in the back seat. Nick and Jordan, both made quite uncomfortable by the fight, were essentially tuning Tom out, just as one tunes out noises from the sidewalk which are unimportant. He uses repetition with the word "thinning" (Fitzgerald 143) to highlight the depressing nature of Nick's thirtieth birthday. Nick seems to believe that the best years of his life have passed, and that things are now going to go downhill. His choice to use "thinning" over some other verb, such as "disappearing", highlights the slower, more gradual nature of something thinning, as in one's hair. Fitzgerald then uses juxtaposition by describing the happiness and calm felt by Nick from "the reassuring pressure of her hand" (143). The tone quickly changes from one of pessimism to contentment. This highlights the importance relationships have, in the story especially, in affecting one's moods, and contributing to one's happiness.  

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Conflict

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One of the main conflicts is between the appearance Gatsby maintains when around most people, and the way he really feels about himself and his life. One would outwardly think that Gatsby has a perfect life, as he has great wealth, and, apparently, lots of friends with which to share his wealth. His outward confidence is described best by the manner in which he interacts with Nick: "He smiled understandingly, [...] it was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it" (Fitzgerald 52). However, as Nick begins to get to know Gatsby better, he realizes that Gatsby is experiencing great struggles and insecurity. Gatsby is obviously insecure around Daisy. He is nervous around her at their initial reunion, and later, after the party of his she attended, he was greatly worried that she "didn't like it" (Fitzgerald 116). Additionally, he has convinced himself completely that it is within his realm of possibilities to recreate the relationship he and Daisy had when they were together five years prior.This internal conflict will continue to confuse and complicate Gatsby's life, until his true personality is revealed to all.

Additionally, more minor external conflicts exist. Some degree of tension can be detected between Gatsby and Tom. Tom, just before leaving the party, accuses Gatsby of being a bootlegger. This conflict will surely escalate further later in the book. Another external conflict between Daisy and Tom exists, as he has a negative attitude toward women, as well as a racist attitude with which Daisy disagrees. The external conflict between "haves" and "have-nots" can be said to exist as well, although this has not been discussed much in the story thus far.

Characterization

Jay Gatsby, although an obvious choice, is the most captivating and mysterious character in The Great Gatsby. He appears to have the perfect life, and to be quite perfect himself. However, as more about Gatsby's past is revealed, this image will be challenged.

Gatsby's speech has two distinct tones: confidence and insecurity. At first, Nick is struck by Gatsby's confidence and manner of interacting with others. Nick is incredibly impressed by Gatsby's confidence when he makes such comments as, "If you want anything, just ask for it, old sport" (Fitzgerald 53), and refers to his extravagant bash as "his 'little party'" (Fitzgerald 45). This is in contrast to his insecurities surrounding Daisy. He has been building up his reunion with her in his mind for years, so he is overwhelmed when the occasion actually arises. He is obviously afraid of making the wrong impression on Daisy, as he writes off his reunion attempt as a "terrible mistake" (Fitzgerald 92). One would have previously thought that someone as outwardly confident as Gatsby would have felt comfortable in this situation, but this is not so.

The most obvious expression of Gatsby's outward persona, of utter confidence, are his lavish parties. The reality is, however, that part, at least, of his motivation for having the parties was hoping that Daisy would one day show up, because he was too afraid to simply approach her. His showing off his medals from the war is, again, an outward expression of confidence. Nick, however, is beginning to see through this facade. Nick notices a certain restlessness in Gatsby's manner, which could either be a result of his abundant energy and cheerfulness, or, perhaps more likely, an expression of nervousness, which Gatsby is unable to hide.

Gatsby is described as a "man of about my age" (Fitzgerald 51) by Nick, His smile is mentioned several times, and Nick says he smiled "understandingly" (Fitzgerald 52). This essentially means that Gatsby has, for the most part, mastered his outward appearances in order to appeal confident and cool. Fitzgerald also describes Gatsby as having an "elaborate formality of speech just [missing] being absurd" (53), meaning that Gatsby is very eloquent and educated-sounding, while not speaking in a manner that sounds out of place of overly formal.

Practically everyone with whom Gatsby interacts has a positive impression of him. He also has a mysterious quality about him. with people gossiping that "he was a German spy during the war" (Fitzgerald 48), and that "[they] bet he killed a man" (Fitzgerald 48). On a more personal, realistic level, Daisy seems to think extremely highly of Gatsby. After the initial awkwardness of their reunion has dissipated, Daisy seems to be in absolute awe of Gatsby, and his mansion. Jordan's shock that Gatsby would want to speak alone with her is indicative of the great respect she has for him. She is flabbergasted that someone as important as him would wish to speak privately with her. Mr. Wolfshiem, a man of questionable morals but great success, speaks very positively of Gatsby, describing him as "the kind of man you'd like to take home and introduce to your mother and sister" (Fitzgerald 76).

Gatsby, as a character, is initially quite flat, as his personality seems quite superficial and shallow. He is at first only described positively, with the impression Nick got from his first interaction with him. However, Gatsby is becoming increasingly round and complex as more details of his personality and past are revealed. He is no longer the flat, perfect man. He is now a complex man with struggles, seemingly unfitting for a man of his apparent confidence. He is certainly static, as his character, to Nick especially, has changed significantly in just a few chapters. He has, again, changed from a superficial, perfect man to a more complex, struggling one.

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Quotations and Connection Article

"The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier, minute by minute spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word. The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath--already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group and then excited with triumph glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light" (Fitzgerald 44-45). 

The theme of this excerpt is Gatsby's party, and the almost magical mood experienced by those who attend. Fitzgerald uses upbeat diction with "laughter", "cheerful", "joyous", "excited", and "triumph" (44-45) to bring across the mood, of happiness and excitement, felt by those attending the party. This adds to Gatsby's perfect image, which Nick admires so deeply. He uses "lurches" (Fitzgerald 44), rather than a calmer, more typical verb, to describe the sunset, in order to emphasize the hectic and exciting nature of the party. Additionally, "lurching" is a much quicker action than "setting", and as time at the party seems to pass very quickly for the party goers, many of which do not want to be the first to leave, this is an appropriate description of how most at the party, especially in their drunken state, experienced the sunset. He uses scholarly diction when he describes the laughter as spilling with "prodigality" (Fitzgerald 44), in order to convey just how much laughter was occurring at the party, and the general mood of abundance and excess. He uses the metaphor of the "opera of voices" (Fitzgerald 44), as opposed to more explicitly describing the loud chatter of the party, to, again, add a magical, romantic quality to the party. He uses compound, complex, and comp-complex throughout, in order to sufficiently and eloquently describe the scene. As opposed to the short sentences Nick used when responding to Jordan's blatant lie, his description of the party is deep and extensive, reflecting his attitude, of great admiration, for Gatsby, and more importantly, his image.

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"He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that his had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey [...]" (Fitzgerald 52-53). 

The theme of this selection is Nick's initial interaction with Gatsby, and the way it makes Nick feel. Fitzgerald uses dramatic, romantic diction, such as "eternal", "whole external world", and "irresistible" (52-53) in order to convey Nick's strong admiration and liking for Gatsby, and the way he feels when around him. These words allow the reader to understand the emotional, somewhat irrational, attraction Nick feels for Gatsby's image. which will almost certainly clash with Gatsby's deeper personality, when revealed to Nick later in the book. Fitzgerald uses contradiction with, "He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly" (52), to bring across Nick's thought process. Nick initially assumed that the smile was just one of understanding, but after a moment's thought, realized it was much more, and in that instant, Nick's admiration for Gatsby was sparked. He uses parallelism with "understood" and "believed" (Fitzgerald 53) in order to make a connection between what one desires, but very rarely actually receives, from an interaction, with the way Gatsby actually acts. This, once again, intensifies the "perfect" image Nick has of Gatsby.  

http://www.npr.org/2014/11/30/363345372/for-these-millennials-gender-norms-have-gone-out-of-style

Many millennials find traditional gender roles to be too constraining, or "ill-fitting", as in an article of clothing that doesn't fit properly. Many mentioned in this article focus on the outward appearances generally considered to be appropriate for men and women. For example, many men prefer painting their nails and wearing women's clothes over traditionally masculine clothes, and many women prefer suits and masculine hairstyles over traditionally feminine styles. The article additionally mentions specifically the role of women in the classroom, and states that it is typically considered more feminine to listen, rather than to talk.

Daisy feels suppressed by her husband Tom, and even goes so far as to say that she hopes "[her daughter will be] a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool" (Fitzgerald 21). She is referring to traditional gender norms, which dictated that males take the dominant positions in life, and women take the submissive roles. Just as in the article, women were expected to listen, more than speak, while men held the serious conversations. While Daisy does not outright denounce this expectation, she makes fun of Tom's idiotic and racist remarks, and Tom seems threatened by her intelligence, despite his machismo. Daisy, essentially, finds women's traditional roles "ill-fitting", and wishes to assume a role with which she is more comfortable, which would allow her more mental freedom.

Syntax

"The interior was unprosperous and bare; the only car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner. It had occurred to me that this shadow of a garage must be blind and that sumptuous and romantic apartments were concealed overhead when the proprietor himself appeared in the door of an office, wiping his hands on a piece of waste. He was a blonde, spiritless man, anemic and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes" (Fitzgerald 29). 

Fitzgerald uses complex syntax in the first sentence, joining two independent clauses with a semicolon, each of which could have been a sentence on its own, but supplemented the other well enough to be combined. He uses comp-complex syntax in the second sentence. The first clause, ending with "blind" describes the garage and is independent. The second clause, beginning with "and" and ending with "overhead" is dependent on the first clause, and elaborates on Nick's perception of the garage. Another dependent clause begins with the subordinating conjunction "when" and ends with "office". This introduces the character of Mr. Wilson, while relating him to the state of the garage in order to assert a connection between the pitiful appearance of the garage and the state and appearance of Mr. Wilson. The final dependent clause begins with "wiping" and describes Mr. Wilson's action, which at this moment is wiping his hands on a piece of "waste", further highlighting how pathetic Mr. Wilson is, that he would have to wipe his hands on "waste". The next sentence describes Mr. Wilson's physical appearance using a cumulative structure, with the initial independent clause ending with "man" followed by the details about his appearance, The final sentence is complex in structure. The initial clause, elaborating on the exact moment his eyes received a "gleam of hope", depends on the second, independent clause describing the actual action.

Fitzgerald most commonly uses either complex or compound sentences simply because his writing is too descriptive for him to fit all of the necessary details into a simple structure. He attempts to provide the reader with a vivid image of whatever scene he is describing by extensively describing things.       

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Diction

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Fitzgerald uses offensive diction when describing Tom as a "brute" and "hulking" (16), in order to help the reader understand Tom's appearance and manner. This additionally effectively pits the reader against Tom, and makes him or her root for Daisy. Fitzgerald usually uses more academic diction, with words such as "fractiousness" (Fitzgerald 11), "compulsion" (14), "tangible" (20), "peremptorily" (24), and "infinitesimal" (18) in order to assert a more sophisticated, scholarly, and upscale tone to the story and setting. Fitzgerald uses crude diction sparingly, with "guts" (11) to help the reader realize just how much people hated Tom, in order to set the tone for the likely impending conflict between him and Daisy. The dislike for Tom the reader is likely experiencing will make this conflict more satisfying and poignant. Daisy, conversely, is described using colorful, positive diction such as "bright" (Fitzgerald 14) and "charming" (13), which allows the reader to envision a beautiful, nice woman deserving of a far "better man" than Tom.