ipl-logo

Role Of Geography In The Great Gatsby

749 Words3 Pages

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a world-renowned novel that is widely based around its powerful symbols and motifs. Through the many motifs prominent throughout the entire novel, geography, and how Fitzgerald relates it to the message of society and class, is presented in a very unique way. Fitzgerald’s use of diction, syntax and figurative language are very enticing and has an enormous impact on his idea of geography throughout the novel. The Valley of Ashes is a dismal area filled with bleakness and poverty. In the novel, Fitzgerald describes, “This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens”(Fitzgerald 26). This exemplifies how even though the west and east egg seems perfect and beautiful on the outside, they are both just as ugly and dull on the inside as the rest of the valley. Fitzgerald places this in between both of the eggs to show how they are interconnected and relate to each other. The vivid diction he uses such as …show more content…

Looking deeply into the geography of the setting in relation to society and class will show Fitzgerald’s purpose of the novel, and deep understanding of the characters. Having the two polar opposite settings provides a dispute throughout the novel. Unfortunately Gatsby is too clouded by Daisy’s beauty to realize what she is really in love with. Daisy wants nothing more than Gatsby’s wealth, which leads to his death. This is an appropriate motif to use because it shows that not everyone is who they seem on the outside, and sometimes things can be staring right in front of a person and they wouldn’t even know it. Fitzgerald wants to convey the power of Gatsby’s love towards Daisy and how it acts as a drug to him. Completely affecting the plot and entire structure of the story, geography acts as a vital motif and brings to life Fitzgerald’s message in the class and society of the

Show More
Related

  • Not Leting Go In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    695 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald presents the ideas of not living in the past, and knowing when enough is enough. He does this through Gatsby having this perfect image of the past Daisy, and still trying to get her to fall for him after she has a family and obligations. The obligations being Tom and her daughter along with her image of a loyal undivoerced woman. In The Great Gatsby, Fitsgerrald shows the effects of not leting go and its negativity.

    Read More

  • Appearance Vs. Reality In The Great Gatsby

    1108 Words  | 5 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the misperception between appearance versus reality is thoroughly demonstrated throughout the whole novel. We meet certain characters such as Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan who all paint us a vivid picture of what it is like to be living in close geological quarters, but are ranked differently in society. Fitzgerald describes New York as two separated locations, East Egg and West Egg. Although they are geographically close, they differ in respect to morality, happiness and values. These factors are expressed through the characters which overall contribute to the theme of contrast within a society.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis In The Great Gatsby

    831 Words  | 4 Pages

    Amanda Krupinski Period 5 2/23/16 The American Dream and  the Roaring Twenties The 1920’s was an era of exciting social changes and cultural conflicts. For many Americans, this meant the growth of cities, the rise of a consumer culture, and the upsurge of mass entertainment. Throughout the book, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses rhetorical and literary strategies such as imagery and his diction in these passages in order to convey his theme of the “Roaring 20’s”.

    Read More

  • How Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    991 Words  | 4 Pages

    From reading The Great Gatsby and tracking the presence of the symbol with location, it has become present that through the book, all of the places/the majority of the places mentioned either symbol something with money or fulfillment. For example, West Egg is all about people who have “New Money” and made something of themselves from what they didn’t have, East Egg is all about people who have “Old Money” in which they live off of their family members’ money. Another common place mentioned in the text is the Valley of Ashes, this symbolizes the moral and social decay with people who aren’t as wealthy as other. Lastly Gatsby’s mansion which symbolizes fullness but also emptiness and his love for Daisy. So, in the novel The Great Gatsby, written

    Read More

  • What Does The Valley Of Ashes Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

    1128 Words  | 5 Pages

    F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby to represent the roaring twenties lifestyle and the ever changing American Dream during the 1920s. Symbolism plays a drastic role in bringing the essay into a more perspective view for readers by growing characters, creating suspension and motivating the reader to continue reading. The Great Gatsby contains large amounts of symbolism, making it one of America's most loved novels. Fitzgerald uses different concepts of symbolism by integrating weather, location, colors and signs into the book by playing out relatable situations, for example the tension during hot weather. The valley of ashes played a very significant role in the book The Great Gatsby by creating a definition of the classes.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Daisy Buchanan In The Great Gatsby

    1205 Words  | 5 Pages

    Introduction: Thesis - Despite great attempts to be with the person they love, the main characters in Fitzgerald’s works often fall short of their goal because of their inability to fully transform. Main Categories Jay Gatsby’s attempts to win over Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby Horace Tarbox’s attempts to win over and support his wife, Marcia Meadow, in “Head and Shoulders” Sally Carrol’s attempts to live in an unfamiliar region of the country to be with her husband, Harry Bellamy, in “The Ice Palace” The downfalls of each character’s attempts to be with the person they love First Category - Jay Gatsby’s attempts to win over Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby moves to the West Egg, in hopes of seeing Daisy, who lives just across the bay.

    Read More

  • Corruption In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    805 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fitzgerald shows this transition in the characters behavior and attitude by using imagery, symbolism, and diction to properly portray the Gatsby desire for a better life, a life of happiness, a life with Daisy. This scene symbolizes Gatsby’s

    Read More

  • Allusions In The Great Gatsby

    1352 Words  | 6 Pages

    Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses allusions to portray Gatsby as a representative of the “American Dream” and to foreshadow the eventual collapse of the relationship between Daisy and Tom, which, in turn, presents Gatsby’s desire

    Read More

  • Examples Of Empathy In The Great Gatsby

    830 Words  | 4 Pages

    His novel, The Great Gatsby represents many aspects that were similar to his life. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, he used intellectual empathy by imagining himself through The Great Gatsby and many other stories and novels. In The Great Gatsby, Tom and Daisy are married quickly, but Tom cheats on Daisy many times with many diverse people. In the 1920’s is wasn’t likely to divorce their spouse and to marry someone else from a lower class. Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, Daisy knows Tom has many affairs but stays with him, Tom and Daisy have an unusual and loving relationship, and the time period of the 1920’s that Daisy and Tom live in.

    Read More

  • Ambition In The Great Gatsby

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gatsby’s dreams and aspirations in life are rather interesting and amazing as he goes about his life in the book. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald helps highlight the social, moral, and political issue that were very present during the 1920’s and today. Gatsby is the focus of the book as before the book began, he was an ex-soldier who came to wealth by some rather illegal ways. Daisy a married woman is his person of interest, who was his ex-lover 5 years before the book started. Gatsby’s actions, and words demonstrate a clear obsession with Daisy that seems to have no end.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Hero Quotes

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reckless parties, vehicular manslaughter, and the unwarranted death of a man who is innocent all describe Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. This novel is set in the roaring twenties in the New York City/Long Island area, and it displays the divisions of social status and the division of the divisions of social status during this time in the United States. Nick Carraway takes the reader through his journey of moving to the East Egg of Long Island from the western United States, and during his journey he witnesses the reunion of past lovers, the struggles of the American dream, and the untimely death of two people who just wanted wealth and love. While it is commonly accepted that Jay Gatsby is a hero, it is very evident that he lacks

    Read More

  • Weather Change In The Great Gatsby

    274 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gatsby Analytical Essay One big theme in the Great Gatsby is the weather changing throughout the book. The theme is that the weather changes due to how a character’s relationship changes with another character through the book. The way Fitzgerald uses the motif is to emphasis their current feelings for each other and in a way mimics their situation with other characters as well. The first time Daisy and Gatsby meet, its pouring rain to show that their current feelings for each other is uncomfortable and nerve-wracking, but as soon as Nick comes back inside, it stops raining.

    Read More

  • Weather In The Great Gatsby

    1321 Words  | 6 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses weather to comment on the relationships of characters and cities. The Valley of Ashes is a valley of hopelessness everyone who lives there is poor and the sky is alway grey and filled with ashes. For example when the valley of Ashes is described in the beginning of the book (Fitzgerald 23) “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.” This examples gives the city a gloomy mood.

    Read More

  • Connotation Of Women In The Great Gatsby

    1169 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gatsby is essentially heartbroken. The house that once symbolized so much opulence is now symbolic of the wealth Gatsby cannot obtain. The matter betrays him that Daisy chose her rich expenditures over Gatsby and his desires for the same wealth. Fitzgerald exercises symbolism to show the shift in Gatsby’s feelings from love to betrayal. Subsequently, the author uses vigorous metaphors to explain his eagerness to attain

    Read More

  • Similarities Between I Too Sing America And The Great Gatsby

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream in the novel both compares and contrasts to that of Hughes’ portrayal in the poem through the usage of the literary devices of imagery, tone, and symbolism. Through the usage of imagery, The Great Gatsby paints a bleak picture of the failure of The American Dream on a disadvantaged group, while “I Too, Sing America” portrays it as something that can be improved upon. In the novel, a stretch of desolate land created as the result of industrial waste is described as “...a valley of ashes...where ashes grow like...grotesque gardens (Fitzgerald 23)”. This powerful imagery described the valley of ashes as a wasteland and a failure of the American Dream. The

    Read More

More about Role Of Geography In The Great Gatsby

Open Document