The Great Gatsby is an original and thought-provoking novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald about some glamorous young man who is desperately in search of a woman he loves. The man having endured the pain of hard work to improve his status so he can win back the woman finds himself in a society where money dictates everything-from humility to hope. The setting of the story is Long Island's North Shore and in New York City during the summer of 1992. In the story, the narrator uses literary devices like personification, imagery, simile, or even oxymoron to reveal the impossibility of reinventing the past and the similar difficulties associated with the alteration of another person's future (Joucla 40). Although the novel is a commentary on various values and cynicism of east coast America almost a century ago, this paper offers a critical review of the literary analysis and how multiple devices have been applied in the progressive construction of the story.
The Great Gatsby conjures up the world and the context in which it is based, outlining various similarities and differences in the time of its setting and today's life. This novel is an excellent description of a specific period in time, and it does so, not only as formidable literature but also as an indication that we as human beings tend to forget the lessons of history very fast.
Although much is not known about the protagonist's Jay Gatsby at first, from the introductory statements made by Nick and the title of the novel-we are convince that Gatsby would be the significant underpinning of the novel. Interestingly, the story continues with Nick trying to uncover much about Gatsby's complex world. So, from Nick's narration, we discover the love string that had existed between Gatsby and Daisy, Nick's cousin. It is a love so deep that anything or anybody that stands between Gatsby and Daisy is the enemy (Joucla 20). Even Tom, who is Daisy's husband, is inevitably the antagonist, a broad array of ideal circumstances like social status, societal expectations, Gatsby's past lies, and time factor are also seen as antagonists. As such, Gatsby is prevented by these antagonists from recapturing his lost glory of love.
On the other hand, the narrator uses literary devices like simile in the novel to capture the aspects of money, wealth,and classism that had grown to paramount in this society. He connotes that "Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols, weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans." (Fitzgerald 115). So, it is not only the use of “like" in this sentence that describes the device but also it is apparent that the vivid description of the characters flamboyancy that depicts the nature of this society-money, pleasure, and life full of status.
Besides, the narrator employs literary devices like hyperbole, personification, oxymoron, and imagery not only to convey the tonal variants in the story but also the mood of The Great Gatsby. For example, on page 23, Fitzgerald uses the “The Valley of Ashes” as imagery to describe the environment with which the story is set (Joucla 56). It is also worth noting that the mythical quality given to Gatsby’s past life reinforces his character as a tragic hero and evokes the peculiar nature of his stories about life and love.
Conclusion
In summary, it is imperative to note that the author has used in vast sense literary devices like simile, imagery, personification, among others, to depict and convey the mood and the tone of the story. It is in such depictions that the reader can understand the nature of this society, the characters like Gatsby, Daisy, and Nick and draw a conclusive assessment of how it compares to contemporary life.
