Diction

With his use of diction, Fitzgerald goes very in depth with the further development of each character’s complex personalities and the overall tone of the novel which is overall depressing and dramatic. Nick Carraway expresses a deep love for Jordan Baker throughout the novel but at the same time he is repulsed by her habit of lying, through Fitzgerald’s use of imagery one can see, very apparently, Nick’s attraction towards her, “for a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened” (14). Nick is an extremely sensible and well-rounded individual with the ability to listen and keep quiet when he needs to, which is why all of the other people in this story trust him so much and confide in him so often with their deepest secrets. On the other hand, Jay Gatsby tries to create this image of insurmountable wealth and luxury about himself in order to impress others, even if he has never met them before in his life. Gatsby is the epitome of a self-made man, and because he is trying to keep his reputation up he throws large parties all the time and has become a local celebrity. In reality, Gatsby only wishes to rekindle his love affair with Daisy Buchanan; this drive eventually results in his demise, “he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (161).  Fitzgerald phrases this perfectly when he says that Gatsby has “lived too long with a single dream” which was Daisy; he also uses alliteration by saying “old warm world” and that really puts emphasis on the fact that Gatsby wishes he could go back in time and be in love and be loved by Daisy once again. The ending of this novel leaves the reader with a sad and empty confusion because not one of the main characters ends up with the life that they had hoped for; Gatsby is dead, Nick and Jordan stop seeing each other, and Daisy is trapped with her unfaithful husband for the remainder of her years. Nothing is as it should be, but yet the ending seems fitting because when all is said and done, nothing ever ends perfectly.