The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of Nick Carraway, who moves next door to a man by the name of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, in love with the woman he was once with, Daisy, climbed the social ladder to fame and riches in an attempt to win her back. The novel follows Gatsby’s progress to a relationship with Daisy, then his downfall when she rejects him. The Great Gatsby explores fallen dreams and the emptiness of wealth, through the display of violent actions of humans and the cruel irony of life. Fitzgerald utilizes these devices, supported by symbolic imagery, to convey messages more profound than the themes one may see on the surface. The Great Gatsby is famous for its symbolism, and for good reason. The story is filled
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F. Scott Fitzgerald follows this concept when he writes of brutality in The Great Gatsby. Violence transpires several times in The Great Gatsby, most notably through two deaths, each of which are meant to display deeper meaning. The first casualty of the book is Myrtle, the woman Tom is having an affair with, who is hit by a car that Daisy is driving. (Fitzgerald 137). Myrtle’s death is not simply a death, but a means of showing Daisy’s true character. Daisy, displayed earlier as innocent and worthy of Gatsby’s yearning, is now revealed to be reckless and relatively unaffected by killing someone. This development ties in with the deterioration of Gatsby’s unrealistic image of …show more content…
The most significant cases of irony in the story surround Gatsby, specifically his death. The entirety of the novel is based around Gatsby: his background, his success, his dream to win back Daisy. The title even includes his name, labelling him as “great.” Gatsby is both revered and feared for his ambiguity and wealth. He is displayed as an untouchable figure, mysterious and important. Even though he is initially shown as a god-like character, Gatsby ends up vulnerable and mortal. As the namesake and arguably the protagonist of the book, his death is unanticipated, so when he is murdered, irony is present. This instance of irony connects with one of the major themes of the novel, the destruction of the American Dream. Gatsby, who worked so hard to move up in society, meets his downfall, all of his dreams demolished. Another irony of Gatsby’s death is the setting in which it takes place. Gatsby, standing by his pool, falls into the water when he is shot by George Wilson (Fitzgerald 137). Water is traditionally associated with baptism, with rebirth and cleansing. The opposites of these associations occur ‒ death instead of birth, blood rather than cleanliness. This adds irony on a subconscious level. Though a reader may not initially recognize the incongruity between the setting and event, the irony is present upon
F. Scott Fitzgerald follows this concept when he writes of brutality in The Great Gatsby. Violence transpires several times in The Great Gatsby, most notably through two deaths, each of which are meant to display deeper meaning. The first casualty of the book is Myrtle, the woman Tom is having an affair with, who is hit by a car that Daisy is driving. (Fitzgerald 137). Myrtle’s death is not simply a death, but a means of showing Daisy’s true character. Daisy, displayed earlier as innocent and worthy of Gatsby’s yearning, is now revealed to be reckless and relatively unaffected by killing someone. This development ties in with the deterioration of Gatsby’s unrealistic image of …show more content…
The most significant cases of irony in the story surround Gatsby, specifically his death. The entirety of the novel is based around Gatsby: his background, his success, his dream to win back Daisy. The title even includes his name, labelling him as “great.” Gatsby is both revered and feared for his ambiguity and wealth. He is displayed as an untouchable figure, mysterious and important. Even though he is initially shown as a god-like character, Gatsby ends up vulnerable and mortal. As the namesake and arguably the protagonist of the book, his death is unanticipated, so when he is murdered, irony is present. This instance of irony connects with one of the major themes of the novel, the destruction of the American Dream. Gatsby, who worked so hard to move up in society, meets his downfall, all of his dreams demolished. Another irony of Gatsby’s death is the setting in which it takes place. Gatsby, standing by his pool, falls into the water when he is shot by George Wilson (Fitzgerald 137). Water is traditionally associated with baptism, with rebirth and cleansing. The opposites of these associations occur ‒ death instead of birth, blood rather than cleanliness. This adds irony on a subconscious level. Though a reader may not initially recognize the incongruity between the setting and event, the irony is present upon