Literary Techniques In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic novel that captures the essence of life in America during the 1920s. Techniques and conventions of characterization, setting, symbolism, plot and tone are used to make timeless comments on the context of this text. Fitzgerald comments on the power of wealth, the suffering of the working class, the inability to escape society’s rigid social classes and that individuals form relationships for selfish reasons during the 1920s.

Fitzgerald uses the characterization of Tom to comment of the power and superiority of the wealthy in the 1920s society. Tom is characterized as being arrogant and boasting about his superiority over those of a different race and social class. Nick describes Tom as having
This power that Tom’s wealth gives him is further evident in his affair with Myrtle which he flaunts. His lack of concern about others opinion of his affair or Daisy learning about it demonstrates that his wealth makes any immoral decisions made without consequence because it is right of passage as part of the upper class to do as he pleases. “They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money…”. This supports the idea that he has power over Myrtle and Daisy because they want the money he has along with the power and social status that comes with it and as a result Myrtle must accept Tom’s violent actions, seen on page 39 where “Tom Buchanan broke her [Myrtle] nose with his open hand.” and Daisy, must overlook his affair. This subject of affluence providing power and superiority in a society is still relevant to an audience of a different time and place because there are always people in society who are wealthy. This novel encourages the audience to question whether money gives people in their own communities power and whether this power causes corruption in that they do not face the consequences of
Colours are very symbolic in the novel, in particular, the colours gold and yellow. Gold is representative of money, materialism and social status and is used to describe the people and objects from the West Egg. For example, “Jordan's golden shoulder” and “Their [Tom and Daisy’s] house was…glowing now with reflected gold...” (pg. 12) This conveys the West’s or “old money” class as superior and better respected compared to that of the East or “new money” whose belongings are often describe as being yellow for this colour is not as authentic as gold. Yellow is also symbolic of the dying leaves in autumn and can represent death, decay and corruptness. Therefore, Gatsby’s yellow car, the “twin yellow dresses” and “yellow cocktail music” conveys his desperate attempt to join the most elite social class in order to win Daisy’s heart as unsuccessful, decadent and illegitimate. The deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle as part of the plot also communicates Fitzgerald’s idea of the permanent social construct of the 1920s as both try and escape their original social class and both are killed. The death of a character in literature often signifies to the reader that the actions or objectives of that character is considered wrong, immoral or not permitted by the society in which they live. Therefore, the