How Does Fitzgerald Use Realism In The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has been identified as a great success, and perhaps even one of the greatest novels of all time. In order to be revered as a classic, a novel must have one or more qualities that place it above the rest. One of The Great Gatsby's best qualities is Fitzgerald's incredible use of realism and symbolism. Symbolism and realism the key elements that made this work a success are evident in the development of plot, setting, and characters throughout the novel.
When carefully read it is clear that The Great Gatsby has several plots and underlying sub-plots. Fitzgerald uses realism to develop these plots by choosing plots that would be believable to readers. For example, the main plot of "The American Dream", …show more content…
Jay Gatsby's dream of becoming rich and successful in order to impress Daisy, is easily believable and is still a quite common dream today. Sub plots such as Tom Buchanan's and Myrtle's affair is also very realistic and common now a day. From here Fitzgerald deepened the story by using realism to entangle these plots. Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise.
In the Great Gatsby, as in any novel, the characters are the basis of the novel from which the plots revolve around. Fitzgerald uses realism to ensure that all the characters in the novel are believable in both their history and interactions with each other. A prime example of this would be Daisy. Her history of having a successful family and being the center of attention deeply influences her character into being self-centered and dependent on wealth, making her character believable to readers. Fitzgerald genuinely convinces the reader of each character and therefore makes the whole story seem more realistic.
In the Great Gatsby, as in any novel, the characters are the basis of the novel from which the plots revolve around. Fitzgerald uses realism to ensure that all the characters in the novel are believable in both their history and interactions with each other. A prime example of this would be Daisy. Her history of having a successful family and being the center of attention deeply influences her character into being self-centered and dependent on wealth, making her character believable to readers. Fitzgerald genuinely convinces the reader of each character and therefore makes the whole story seem more realistic.
In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objects, and gestures as symbols to portray the lack of moral and spiritual values of people and the different aspects of society in the 1920's. The colors which are spread throughout the novel are green, white, gold, and others.
Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise. The gold or yellow rimmed glasses represent the materialistic desire for money, and superficial wealth. White and green are shown throughout the beginning of the novel, first, through green and white luminous light. Daisy is constantly shown in white. White depicts virginity, innocence, honesty, wealth, and the appearance of cleanliness. Gatsby believes that there is hope for his future relationship with Daisy. Gold is portrayed in many different places in this novel. "While studies of color symbolism in Gatsby are numerous, few have noted how strikingly unusual and jarring these colors seem when paired with the objects they describe. Again, the effect is a mixture of surprise and a realization of appropriateness as we visualize Gatsby's blue gardens', his blue lawn', his pink suit, his yellow car, his silver shirt, and his golden-colored tie; or hear the yellow cocktail music at his parties. On a literal level, the garishness of Gatsby's car and wardrobe speak eloquently of his lack of style and foreshadow the inevitability of his defeat by the Buchanans, whose world is described in more muted colors. Daisy, as often been pointed out, is associated throughout the novel, ironically, with the color white. But when these unusual color-noun sets are seen as part of a larger pattern of arresting adjective-noun linkages,
they, like the linked adjectives, certainly mirror and suggest the ambivalent, contradictory, and jarring world of this novel", says Jackson R. Bryer in Critical Essays on The Great Gatsby. Gatsby wishes to lure Daisy back to him, using the appeal of his wealth and power as a tool.
Another major symbolism used in The Great Gatsby is the billboard of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg looking down on the dirty streets of the city symbolizes the eyes of God. The billboard is practically ignored and the eyes of "God" are faded, symbolizing the departure of the civilization from religion to materialistic gain which is extremely visible in this work.
Another important symbolism in the novel is class and social standing. It is a barrier for almost every character. East and West Egg acts as a symbol of this in its physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the East which is far more refined and wealthier. Nick and Gatsby are on the West which is for people who do not have any real standing, even with their wealth. The green light shines from the East Egg enticing Gatsby towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman that Gatsby has always wanted but never gets, lives on East Egg. The barrier that the water creates between these worlds in symbolic of the barrier that keeps these people apart from one another and from much of what they want.
Frederick, J. Hoffman in "The Great Gatsby , a study" says the following, "Throughout the novel plot was deepened through the entangling of many realistic sub-plots, setting was clearly illustrated using plenty of detail, and the characters were developed to be as believable and genuine as possible. In the end it is the realistic recognition of life's imperfections that give The Great Gatsby its continuing appeal." Over the course of this novel it is clear how the plot slowly changes from the rich and exquisite life of the wealthy, to the stubborn, arrogant, and selfish values that each of these characters possessed. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald provides us with views into worlds of love, money, power, and the moral blindness of the time by using symbols with everyday objects and occurrences.
When carefully read it is clear that The Great Gatsby has several plots and underlying sub-plots. Fitzgerald uses realism to develop these plots by choosing plots that would be believable to readers. For example, the main plot of "The American Dream", …show more content…
Jay Gatsby's dream of becoming rich and successful in order to impress Daisy, is easily believable and is still a quite common dream today. Sub plots such as Tom Buchanan's and Myrtle's affair is also very realistic and common now a day. From here Fitzgerald deepened the story by using realism to entangle these plots. Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise.
In the Great Gatsby, as in any novel, the characters are the basis of the novel from which the plots revolve around. Fitzgerald uses realism to ensure that all the characters in the novel are believable in both their history and interactions with each other. A prime example of this would be Daisy. Her history of having a successful family and being the center of attention deeply influences her character into being self-centered and dependent on wealth, making her character believable to readers. Fitzgerald genuinely convinces the reader of each character and therefore makes the whole story seem more realistic.
In the Great Gatsby, as in any novel, the characters are the basis of the novel from which the plots revolve around. Fitzgerald uses realism to ensure that all the characters in the novel are believable in both their history and interactions with each other. A prime example of this would be Daisy. Her history of having a successful family and being the center of attention deeply influences her character into being self-centered and dependent on wealth, making her character believable to readers. Fitzgerald genuinely convinces the reader of each character and therefore makes the whole story seem more realistic.
In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objects, and gestures as symbols to portray the lack of moral and spiritual values of people and the different aspects of society in the 1920's. The colors which are spread throughout the novel are green, white, gold, and others.
Fitzgerald uses the colors of white and green as suggestions of future promise. The gold or yellow rimmed glasses represent the materialistic desire for money, and superficial wealth. White and green are shown throughout the beginning of the novel, first, through green and white luminous light. Daisy is constantly shown in white. White depicts virginity, innocence, honesty, wealth, and the appearance of cleanliness. Gatsby believes that there is hope for his future relationship with Daisy. Gold is portrayed in many different places in this novel. "While studies of color symbolism in Gatsby are numerous, few have noted how strikingly unusual and jarring these colors seem when paired with the objects they describe. Again, the effect is a mixture of surprise and a realization of appropriateness as we visualize Gatsby's blue gardens', his blue lawn', his pink suit, his yellow car, his silver shirt, and his golden-colored tie; or hear the yellow cocktail music at his parties. On a literal level, the garishness of Gatsby's car and wardrobe speak eloquently of his lack of style and foreshadow the inevitability of his defeat by the Buchanans, whose world is described in more muted colors. Daisy, as often been pointed out, is associated throughout the novel, ironically, with the color white. But when these unusual color-noun sets are seen as part of a larger pattern of arresting adjective-noun linkages,
they, like the linked adjectives, certainly mirror and suggest the ambivalent, contradictory, and jarring world of this novel", says Jackson R. Bryer in Critical Essays on The Great Gatsby. Gatsby wishes to lure Daisy back to him, using the appeal of his wealth and power as a tool.
Another major symbolism used in The Great Gatsby is the billboard of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg looking down on the dirty streets of the city symbolizes the eyes of God. The billboard is practically ignored and the eyes of "God" are faded, symbolizing the departure of the civilization from religion to materialistic gain which is extremely visible in this work.
Another important symbolism in the novel is class and social standing. It is a barrier for almost every character. East and West Egg acts as a symbol of this in its physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the East which is far more refined and wealthier. Nick and Gatsby are on the West which is for people who do not have any real standing, even with their wealth. The green light shines from the East Egg enticing Gatsby towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman that Gatsby has always wanted but never gets, lives on East Egg. The barrier that the water creates between these worlds in symbolic of the barrier that keeps these people apart from one another and from much of what they want.
Frederick, J. Hoffman in "The Great Gatsby , a study" says the following, "Throughout the novel plot was deepened through the entangling of many realistic sub-plots, setting was clearly illustrated using plenty of detail, and the characters were developed to be as believable and genuine as possible. In the end it is the realistic recognition of life's imperfections that give The Great Gatsby its continuing appeal." Over the course of this novel it is clear how the plot slowly changes from the rich and exquisite life of the wealthy, to the stubborn, arrogant, and selfish values that each of these characters possessed. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald provides us with views into worlds of love, money, power, and the moral blindness of the time by using symbols with everyday objects and occurrences.