Literary Devices In The Great Gatsby

Literature has been measured a driving force for societal change, particularly in a nation like America where literature has been acting upon our actions since our independence, correcting mistakes and provoking thought among our readers. Straying from the beginnings of Tom Sawyer to modern classics such as the Harry Potter Series, many characteristics such as the adventuring boy we enjoy to the suspense wizardry and witchcraft make what is considered “good” writing. Critics often have numerous views of what constitutes good writing or not, but there are few pieces that set the standard. In “Good Readers and Good Writers”; Vladimir Nabokov suggests the use of rhetoric to give the novel body and character to discern it from other novels. In

Getting down with lavish parties and tries to court Daisy, he ends up alone at the close of the novel without friends. Through the exhaustive use of a main literary device throughout the novel, Fitzgerald proves himself a “good writer” by creating a lasting impression on the audience and showing he can weave details to increase the reader’s understanding of the message he is trying to convey.

Fitzgerald’s prominent rhetorical strategy is symbolism throughout The Great Gatsby, making him a good writer as symbolism gives depth and adds meaning to the novel. Nabokov tells us “… The writer is the first man to mop it and to form the natural objects it contain”, which implies that using rhetoric allows the novel to gain body and character. Starting in Chapter Two, the group arrives at the “Valley of Ashes” and passes a big billboard as they drive through to the City. The billboard, staring down the crowd with the large spectacles, is advertising Dr. T.J. Eckelburg, the Long Island optician. Through the use of symbolism, the eyes are supposed to represent an all-seeing god, who is looking over and influencing the illegal and