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Kimberly West
Dr. Robinson
Term Paper
April, 26, 2011
F. Scott Fitzgerald: His Voice is Full of Charm
Fitzgerald spent his life trying to land among the elite because he was not born into
money. Through publishing The Great Gatsby and various other works, Fitzgerald earned
enough fame and wealth to marry the love of his life, Zelda. Though the idea that Fitzgerald had
to earn enough fortune to marry Zelda is similar to the story line in the book, this comparison is
not the only reason why readers are captivated by The Great Gatsby over generations. The
skewed idea we have of the “American Dream” is accentuated in The Great Gatsby, along with
other themes that are revealed through Fitzgerald’s exemplar writing techniques. Fitzgerald has
tied up human nature into what seems to be neat packages that the narrator, Nick Carraway,
unravels (along with readers) on his pursuit to achieve the “American Dream”. Themes are also
not the only reason that The Great Gatsby is considered classic literature. Fitzgerald’s writing is
simply fantastic. The Great Gatsby has stood the test of time with its rich examples of similes,
characterization, imagery, narration, structure, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ability to pull you into
something beautiful and show you the damage on the inside. It is certain that Fitzgerald had
wandered away from the techniques and styles of the realists and moved toward the modern era
in writing. He establishes modernist techniques such as the use of disjointed time frames and
symbolism to keep readers attracted to the wonderful world that belongs to The Great Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby is written in the structure of a story within a story. Fitzgerald executes
this wonderfully. His imaginary main character, Nick Carraway, narrates the entire story, along
with discussing his life as well. Nick begins the novel by discussing his past and how he views
life after he had “come back from the East last autumn.” (2) This leads the novel into a
recollection of how Nick had come to feel this way. Both Nick’s life and the story of Gatsby are
works of fiction and Nick simultaneously tells his story as he tells Gatsby’s, thus establishing the
structure as a story within a story. Fitzgerald also unfolds the story within a story through his use
of Nick as his first person narrator. Fitzgerald developed Nick not only to narrate a story, but
also to play a part in the story. Though Nick does not intentionally provoke any of the action
occurring in the story, readers see the great world of Gatsby through Nick’s eyes.
Fitzgerald’s movement towards Modernism was one that caught readers’ eyes while they
paged through his novels. His modernist techniques are commendable, but one that is
particularly fabulous in The Great Gatsby is the use of disjointed time frames through Nick
Carraway. Fitzgerald sets this up perfectly by allowing us to learn things as Nick does. Through
the inconsistency of time, we begin to unravel characters as they begin to break down in front of
Nick. In the very beginning, readers learn that Daisy is Nick’s “second cousin once removed” (5)
and that he had “known Tom in college” (5). Then, immediately, without warning, Nick drags
readers into the past by talking about Tom in his college days at New Haven. Fitzgerald is setting
up Tom’s character through the use of the mesh of the past with the present. Nick remembers and
knows Tom as “a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited
excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anticlimax” (6) He also converses
with Daisy after dinner about the birth of her daughter. She says when her daughter was born that
“Tom was God knows where.” (17) Though this is not Nick directly talking about Daisy’s past,
this is Daisy’s recollection of the past through Nick’s eyes. We learn that Tom has a habit of
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never being around, which makes us question his fidelity after Jordan Baker reveals Tom’s “got
some woman in New York.” (15) Fitzgerald has Nick do this numerous times throughout the
novel, including when he finds out about Gatsby’s affiliation with Daisy through Jordan Baker.
Though the story is being told from the present, it seems as though Jordan’s narration has
overcome Nick’s for the time being. Nick and Jordan are having tea at the Plaza, when Nick
hands over the narration to her without readers even noticing it. She begins “One October day in
nineteen seventeen—.” (74) Then Fitzgerald has Nick clear up to readers that it is Jordan who is
now story telling by saying, “said Jordan Baker that afternoon, sitting up very straight on a
straight chair in the tea-garden at the Plaza Hotel.” (74) Then allows her to continue, revealing
Gatsby’s past. Fitzgerald makes sure readers are paying attention to the story by switching up the
setting and time while keeping readers on their toes.
Speaking of Fitzgerald’s reference to the past throughout the novel, we must discuss
Fitzgerald’s use of foreshadowing and flashback. The use of these techniques are frequent
throughout the novel, and also skyrocket Fitzgerald to the top rank of authors because of his
ability to blend the past with the present and future. Fitzgerald’s use of flashback is subtle to the
point that you don’t realize he’s doing it, because it flows incredibly well with the story. There
are also times where flashback and foreshadowing work quite well together. If the past can affect
the future, Gatsby’s actions in the past, or “supposed” actions in the past may have an impact on
his future. For example, when Nick attends one of Gatsby’s parties for the first time and meets
the two girls in yellow dresses. Their conversation feeds to the rumor mill of Gatsby’s life.
Lucille, one of the two girls, describes a time when she had ripped her dress at a Gatsby affair
and he had sent her a new, expensive one. The other girl comments: “There’s something funny
about a fellow that’ll do a thing like that, He doesn’t want any trouble with anybody.” (43) This
goes on to a comment about a rumor that somebody “thought he killed a man once.” (44). this
not only comes directly after a flashback of a kind thing he had done, but also a flashback to
Gatsby’s mysterious past. This foreshadows Gatsby possibly killing someone later in the novel.
Foreshadowing occurs later in the novel during chapter seven when Gatsby and Tom are in the
same vicinity. The room in the hotel was described as “stifling” (126) and as it grew hotter and
hotter, the tension between Gatsby and Tom worsened. Another excellent example of
foreshadowing is when Gatsby exclaims: “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (110)
This is the basic description of Gatsby’s entire dream, foreshadowing what may be the death of
him. The foreshadowing and flashback in The Great Gatsby works well to unfold the story
because it helps readers understand different parts of the make-up of a person, including a
person’s background, which influences who they are as a person.
Imagery plays a huge role in The Great Gatsby. There are occasions where Fitzgerald
uses imagery in the form of similes. The ability to use imagery to place the reader in the sheer
decadence of the 1920s is a talent that Fitzgerald has mastered. It is one thing to tell the beauty of
Daisy and her voice, but Fitzgerald puts it in a way that the reader can actually hear her voice.
He says that her voice was a “low thrilling voice,” (9) that it “was the kind of voice that the ear
follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played
again.” (9) Fitzgerald also uses imagery to place the reader at the scene of Tom and Daisy’s by
describing the lawn “jumping over sun dials and brick walks and burning gardens – finally when
it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run”
(6) By describing the yard like the reader would be walking up the yard, the reader gets a better
sense of how it is laid out. When describing the valley of ashes, Fitzgerald epitomizes the
desolateness and dirtiness of the valley. He uses a simile to describe the valley of ashes as “a
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fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens;” (23) he
goes even further to make the reader feel disturbed by saying that the valley is “bounded on one
side by a small foul river, and, when the drawbridge is up to let barges through, the passengers
on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene.”(23) It is excellent how Fitzgerald uses imagery
before he introduces new characters. He uses this imagery of the ashes before he introduces
Myrtle. Fitzgerald uses imagery numerous times throughout the novel, which works well in
making the reader feel as if they are actually watching the story unfold and feeling what is really
going on.
Symbolism also appears frequently throughout The Great Gatsby. To discuss symbolism,
we must also discuss themes that are recurring as well. The most obvious theme would be the
pursuit of “The American Dream”, though Fitzgerald never outright says this. Fitzgerald portrays
the “American Dream” throughout the novel using his characters as symbols as well as the green
light. When Gatsby is first seen by Nick, so is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock (the
dream is introduced). When Gatsby confronts Daisy for the first time in five years, the “colossal
significance” (93) of the green light had “now vanished” (93) (Thus ending Gatsby’s dream and
beginning his reality). The green light is mentioned throughout the novel, up until the very end.
Nick says that “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes
before us.” (180). Here The green light looks like it would symbolize the “American dream”;
Gatsby’s Dream again. Nick Carraway is a symbol of a young Gatsby in pursuit of the American
dream. He begins his journey eastward with hopes of recreating himself and building wealth to
last. It’s interesting to see how Nick becomes acquainted with the descent of America’s morals
and values through his association with the upper half of society. Gatsby himself also represents
the American dream at one point, but his idea of the American dream became skewed when his
sole purpose was to gain wealth and fame to impress and win back Daisy. Gatsby’s dream had
nothing to do with starting over and creating a new name for himself, but with capturing Daisy’s
heart and returning to a time in the past where they were together and happy. Gatsby’s American
dream is one of selfishness, and the chase after something that will bring him pleasure. Gatsby’s
pursuit is a pursuit of passion and obsessive acts. Myrtle also represents a type of American
dream. She dreams of bettering her life by marrying up and making all of her dreams come true.
Her marriage to George did not secure her all she felt promised from life, therefore she sought to
make a new name for herself and find someone who could deliver what was promised. These
characters represent different aspects of the quest for the American dream.
Cultures, other than those of American’s, assume that Americans are wealthy. They also
consider American’s careless and classless. Characters like Tom and Daisy Buchanan are
examples of these accusations. Tom and Daisy don’t care about other people, “they smashed up
things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or
whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they made.” (179)
this “vast carelessness” was part of the Buchanan’s charm. This charm was alluring to those who
were like them, but also to those who were not. Some may view this as the true American
dream: the ability to have so much money you don’t have to worry about other people, only
yourself. If this was the dream, Tom, Daisy and Jordan Baker were all living it. This is perhaps
why Gatsby and Nick could never be a part of East Egg or their old money. Though Gatsby’s
journey to achieve the American dream was skewed, it was not because he became so wrapped
up in his money or material things for himself, he did it to impress Daisy.
The perfect symbolism of the differences between social classes is the description of
West Egg and East Egg. Fitzgerald opens the novel by having Nick describe East and West Egg,
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and shortly after the valley of the ashes. By doing this, he is setting up the description of New
York and Long Island Sound as a microcosm of social class and ranks. East Egg, where most of
the old money folks reside, “glitters along the water” (5) and West Egg is “the less fashionable of
the two.”(5) Nick even states that the houses along either side of his are rented, which
symbolizes that those on West Egg are of new money, acquiring and testing out new property,
while those on East Egg already have established residences and usually inherit their money at
birth. The valley of the ashes is representative of the lower half of society that our characters
have no concerns about. Fitzgerald establishes characters from each rung on the social ladder and
intertwines them in each other’s lives through traveling between settings.
A symbol that is also relevant to themes is Gatsby’s book collection. Gatsby’s a self
proclaimed Oxford man, trying to assemble an image of intelligence and wealth. People who
party at Gatsby’s house aren’t interested if he went to Oxford, or any of the other things he’s
supposedly done that are enticing. It is the interest in if he is lying, or if he has done sinister
things that interest people. The people are leeches, feeding off of Gatsby’s hospitality; not
friends. The instance where Gatsby’s book collection becomes important is when the Owl-eyed
man points out and marvels in the fact that they are “Absolutely real – have pages and
everything. I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they’re absolutely real.
Pages and – Here Lemme show you.” (45) Gatsby’s “real” books are symbolic of Gatsby’s
image. Gatsby is trying to maintain the image of an educated man. Nick was not an Oxford Man,
he was a Yale man, and he openly admits in the beginning of the novel that he has purchased
books he has yet to read. Nick says that he “bought a dozen volumes on banking and credit and
investment securities, and they stood on my top shelf in red and gold like new money from the
mint,” (4) Nick goes on to say that becoming literary again would make him “a well-rounded
man.” (4) Fitzgerald is trying to set up this image of what wealth looks like by presenting the
idea of a well-rounded man. Gatsby, knowing that a proper education is characteristic to the
wealthy, must put up the façade of being an educated man. Tom, who is a wealthy, educated
man, must maintain knowledge by reading books to be able to hold a conversation. Fitzgerald
stresses and symbolizes the importance of a proper education to the wealthy by placing books in
the novel.
Fitzgerald uses an interesting technique of dialect between the classes as well. He doesn’t
do it often, but you must catch the minute details to notice the dialect. Fitzgerald uses a casual
conversation between the East-Eggers, like Daisy and Jordan, to express this idea. Jordan
“yawns” (11) “We should plan something,” (11) and Daisy responds with “All right, what’ll we
plan? What do people plan?” (11) Daisy is removing herself and her friends from the category of
people, as if it’s a common thing to be considered people. He also uses Tom’s desperate attempts
to showcase his intelligence with upper-class dialect, such as when Tom tries to discuss the
pointless literature he’s been reading. He says “Have you read “The Rise of the Colored
Empires” by this man Goddard?” (12) Tom is using literature to break the ice on his ideas and
feelings, thinking that this will make them more acceptable. Also, Gatsby’s coined phrase, “Old
Sport” may be the result of his studying to sound wealthy. This may be something he picked up
somewhere and decided to establish himself through its use. When using it, the term old would
mean from the past, and sport would be similar to friend. Gatsby is trying to establish old
friendships with people from his present. Though Gatsby is a presumed Oxford man, he struggles
to sound educated. Fitzgerald also shows the lower society’s dialect through Myrtle and Meyer
Wolfshiem. Myrtle, when telling Nick of her and Tom’s first meeting, she says that she “didn’t
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hardly know I wasn’t getting into a subway train.” (36) Myrtle is clearly poorly educated, if at
all, and her dialect shows it. Meyer Wolfshiem, who is also nouveau riche, speaks poorly. He
says things like “gonnegtion” (70) instead of connection and “Oggsford” (71) instead of Oxford.
Though Meyer Wolfshiem is wealthy, it is not because he’s worked hard and has become
educated; it is because he found a “get rich quick scheme.”
We, as readers, also commend Fitzgerald for his excellent characterization. When
Fitzgerald describes a character, he holds true to their character throughout the novel. Nick
describes Tom as one to “drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence
of some irrecoverable football game.” (6) This sets Tom’s character for the entire novel. Tom is
dissatisfied with his life. He is constantly looking for some kind of drama to make his life
exciting, which may be why he remains unfaithful, or perhaps why he desperately tries to find
dirt on Gatsby. He describes Daisy to be one who craves attention, which he also holds true
through the entire novel. He also describes her voice, multiple times, and mentioned that “there
was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing
compulsion…a promise that she had done gay, exciting things” (9) Gatsby later describes her
voice as “full of money” (120) which is significant to his shattered dream of her. One of the most
memorable parts in the novel is when Nick exaggerates for pages (61-63) on the guests who
attend Gatsby’s lavish parties. Fitzgerald’s lists characters that attend Gatsby’s parties truly
establishing them through humor and satire as snobby, faceless names on a list. Fitzgerald’s
characterization is noteworthy because he creates memorable characters giving them distinct
characteristics and applying them over the course of the novel.
Fitzgerald’s literary voice, if anything, is full of charm. His ability to capture the
“Roaring Twenties” along with the crumbling of the “American Dream” in The Great Gatsby
through symbolism, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing, structure, flashback, and narration
lure readers in with the promise of something beautiful. He executes hideous actions with
beautiful, complex sentence structure and syntax that stun and entice you. There’s no doubt that
Fitzgerald’s writing techniques have secured him a spot among the literary Gods. Empty pockets
did stop him from achieving his dream; Fitzgerald is the epitome of the American dream.
Through his charm and knowledge, he’s managed to captivate readers and entertain audiences
for years, and he has maintained his spot with the rich and famous until he died. Raymond
Chandler said of Fitzgerald, in a letter in 1950, that he had “One of the rarest qualities in all
literature…the word is charm…it’s a kind of subdued magic, controlled and exquisite.”
Fitzgerald’s charm is controlled, and nothing showcases his talents more than the Great
American novel, The Great Gatsby. Which is perhaps why we continue to “beat on, boats against
the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (180) and into the wonderful, Great Gatsby.
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Bibliography
1. Carolina, University of South. F. Scott Fitzgerald Centenary . 1997. 20 April 2011
<http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/quotes/quotes6.html>.
2.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925 (2004).