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Nick Carraway In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," Nick Carraway is the narrator and main character who provides the reader with an insight into the lives of the wealthy socialites in 1920s New York. As he is introduced to Tom and Daisy Buchanan's opulent lifestyle, he uses language that reveals his opinion of them and what they represent. Through a careful analysis of the stylistic elements such as tone, diction, imagery, and syntax in Nick's language, it is clear that he views the Buchanan's as superficial, careless, and corrupt. Nick's use of tone sets the stage for his initial impression of the Buchanan's home and lifestyle. The opening of the novel finds Nick describing the East Egg as a "factual imitation" of a French chateau, which sets …show more content…

This tone of detachment reveals Nick's opinion that the Buchanan's are disconnected from reality, living in a world that is an imitation of something else. Nick's diction further emphasizes his negative opinion of the Buchanan's. He describes their home as "gleaming white against the blue sky," using words that convey the excessive opulence and wealth of their lifestyle. However, he also notes that the house is "impersonal" suggesting that it lacks a sense of warmth or personal connection. This impersonality extends to the Buchanan's themselves, who Nick describes as "careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness." This use of the word "careless" twice in the same sentence emphasizes the idea that the Buchanan's are indifferent to the consequences of their actions, which Nick views as immoral. The imagery that Nick employs to describe the Buchanan's further underscores his opinion of them. For instance, when he describes Daisy, he notes that she has "a voice full of money." This image of a voice being "full of money" implies that Daisy is more concerned

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