Literary Analysis

1
Literary Analysis

• The Great Gatsby
• By F. Scott Fitzgerald

2
Genre

• Historical Novel

3
Point of View

• 1st Person
• The story is told in flashback

4
Setting

• New York
• Long Island (East and West Egg)
• Summer
• 1922

5
Symbolism

• Gatsbys and the Buchanans houses
• Gatsbys gaudiness and showing off his
  wealth
• Buchanans tasteful
  sophistication
• The green light- hope

6
Symbolism cont.

• The valley of ashes Death
• Dr. T. J. Eckleberg God
• Gatsbys library Gatsbys front, hes all show
• Gatsbys letter to Daisy their love
• The mantle clock time, time cut short
• East and West Egg Old
• and new money

7
Symbolism cont.

• Gatsby and the Buchanans car
• Gatsbys showy, yellow (watered down gold)
  Buchanans understated and class
• Heat passion, anger

8
Themes

• The Corruption of the American Dream
• a. One is only limited by the limits of
  ones dreams.
• b. Gatsby believes that the dream can
  be bought.
• c. Gatsby believes that the past can be
  recaptured.

9
Themes cont.

• Hope
• a. Nick reserving judgment is
  described as hope.
• b. Gatsby has an extraordinary gift of
  hope.
• c. Gatsby never loses hope to obtain
  Daisy.

10
Themes cont.

• Paradox
• a. One should be able to see that things are
  hopeless, and yet try to change them.
• b. Nick likes Gatsby even though he stands for
  everything that he hates.
• c. Nick is objective but refuses to take a
  stand.
• d. Nick is the only character who gains
  insight.
• e. Nick claims that he is honest, but sees no
  obligation to report things to the police.

11
Themes cont.

• Self Discovery
• a. Nick is the only character that
• learns from the mistakes that
  have been made.

12
Themes cont.

• Reality vs. Illusion
• a. The American Dream offers a better life, the
  illusion is that money alone can bring
  happiness.
• b. Gatsby cant distinguish between the reality
  of how Daisy feels about him and the fantasy.
• c. Nick thinks that by going home to the Mid
  West, his problems will go away.
• d. Jordan faces the illusion that she can lie
  her
• way out of everything.

13
Themes cont.

• Possessiveness and Jealousy
• a. Tom doesnt love Daisy, but he is
  possessive and jealous.
• b. Daisy hangs onto Tom even though she knows
  that he is unfaithful.
• c. Gatsby feels as if he owns Daisy.
• d. Tom doesnt love Myrtle, but lies to keep
  her.
• e. Daisy doesnt love Gatsby, but isnt honest
  
• with him with her intentions.

14
Irony

• Tom thinks that women run around too much
  these days when he is doing the same thing.
• Tom states that too many people are sneering at
  family values while he is having an affair
• Jay Gatsby is really James
  Gatz

15
Irony cont.

• The title What is great about Gatsby?
• Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby
• Gatsby goes to great lengths to hide his real
  parents, yet he has taken good care of his
  father.

16
Irony, cont.

• Gatsbys lies are partly true.
• Nick, Daisys cousin, just happened to move in
  next door to Gatsby.
• Meyer Wolfsheim is Jewish and owns the Swastika
  Holding Company.
• Only three people show
• up for Gatsbys funeral
• After he had entertained thousands