Alex Maher

IB Language and Literature

Mr. Jones
September 2013
An Analysis of a Passage from Chapter One
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel set in the 1920s in
America, a period where the average American became substantially wealthier
and is often referred to as the roaring 20s. It was an age much associated with
spending, wealth and elaborate partying. Fitzgerald deliberately documents this
era from the perspectives of a protagonists, Nick Caraways journal. The
narrative essentially recounts Nicks experiences after moving to East Egg New
York, focusing in particular on his extraordinarily wealthy yet mysterious
neighbor; Jay Gatsby. The selected exert, is from the first chapter when Nick is
describing his first visit to his cousin Daisys and her husband Toms impressive
estate, with French windows and frosted wedding-cake ceilings. Throughout
out the passage, Fitzgerald uses setting, symbolism and characterization, to
highlight a certain corruption in the American dream, which essentially
addresses wealth not being able to provide happiness or even freedom.
Fitzgerald intentionally focuses on architecture and the house details, to
emphasize how despite the enormous wealth and success of Daisy and Tom, they
are discontent and unsatisfied with their lives. Nick describes the space he is in
as fragilely bound into the house by French windows. The connotation of
French highlights at sense of luxury, wealth and fashion, but the deliberate
description of the space they are in being fragilely bound, reveals a
disconnection in the mental space of Daisy and Tom, and their wealth.
Essentially Fitzgerald illustrates that there is no direct connection between
wealth and happiness.
Another detail that emphasizes this point is Nicks descriptive imagery for
the ceiling that looks like a frosted wedding cake. The eating of a wedding cake
is a celebratory, social and essentially happy event. In addition they tend to be
very glamorous, and expensive highlighting wealth once again. However
elements superficiality because frosting decorates and masks the original cake
can be inferred from the connotation of the word frosted. This can be
compared to the superficial happiness and personality of Daisy. Despite the
luxurious appearance of the cake, which is a metaphor Tom and Daisys life, its
flaws or unhappiness can be partly hidden by the frosting but are existent
nonetheless. This connects back to a major theme of the book, which addresses
deceptive appearances.
Another detail Nick includes in his recount of the events is the groan of a
picture on the wall. Clearly the picture is not literally groaning, but through this
personification, Fitzgerald highlights that the symbols of wealth and power in
the setting, do not as would be expected emit happiness, on the contrary
groaning, by its very nature implies a sense of boredom, and frustration. Nicks
description can be read as a metaphor for Daisys position, as seen her first line
paralyzed with happiness. This is evident, as like the picture, paralysis involves
no movement, thus the picture a symbol of wealth and assumed happiness in
effect due to the stationary and frozen properties, inspires a sense of boredom
and dissatisfaction, just like in Daisy life.

Interestingly Fitzgerald further emphasizes this, when Nick then enters

the room with Daisy and Jordon and notices that the only completely stationary
object in the room was an enormous couch. The clear re-appearance of the
concept of absence of movement, in the manifestations of wealth, which is
highlighted through the deliberate use of enormous, demonstrates that the
material goods that wealth can offer do not really offer the dynamic and
engaging life, which is believed to have immediate correlation in the concepts of
the American dream.
In addition to symbolic attention to details in the setting, Fitzgerald
through Nicks perception and dialogue characterizes Daisy as superficial,
desperate and essentially unsatisfied with life. The first example of this is when
Nick first sees her and Jordan as describes them as an anchored balloon, the
smiley of the balloon is addressing the manor in which Daisy and Jordon are
dressed, which can be assumed to be in big dresses. Evident through the very
obvious impractically of a dress in activities involving movement, the wearing of
big dresses demonstrates their wealth, as it does suggest that servants would be
performing these activities for them. Fitzgerald juxtaposes the repeating motif of
absence of movement (which is essentially what anchored implies) with the
fairylike projection of Daisy and Jordan which can be derived from fantastical
depiction of their dresses rippling and fluttering as though they had just
returned form a short flight. This is done to emphasize the contradiction is
concepts. Essentially, it might seem the wealth would provide such a happy,
luxurious and carefree lifestyle so that anything, even the unrealistic ability to fly
could be bought, as well as the belief that one would have no worries, thus
making their conscious light enough to fly. While anchored in effect means the
exact opposite. Through this intentional contrasting juxtaposition of
characterization, it is highlighted that the assumed lifestyle of Daisy as a wealthy
woman is not really as free and easy as it may seem.
Fitzgerald also characterizes Daisy as internally conflicted, and discontent
with her life, almost forcing a superficial and manipulative element to her
character. Even her very name, Daisy implies the traits of delicacy, beauty but
also wildness, vulnerability and ephemerality. Fitzgerald already subtly
established that she is dissatisfied with her circumstance, however her behavior
is an attempt to convince people other wise, with her charming little laugh, her
promise that there is no one in the world she would rather see, and Nicks
reference to a theory that her murmur is a way to make people lean in towards
her. It is later revealed that Tom has a mistress, a fact that she is clearly well
aware of. Thus this characterization of her almost falsely charming, flirtatious or
nave behavior can be perceived as a way to deny not only to Nick but to her self
the absence of freedom, happiness but also attention in her life. Daisy, as her
name and comportment reveals is well aware of her beauty, and in an attempt to
establish some control in the few elements of her life that she can, she uses it
with the intention of attention, but also as a women of higher-class, as an
opportunity to influence men.
In addition to the revealing characterization of Daisy to highlight the
corruption in the American dream, which essentially claims that hard work and
money can lead to happiness and freedom, is the characterization of Jordan
Baker. Nicks first description of Jordan is her completely motionless, and with
her chin raised a little. Once again, there is the appearance of the motif of

absence of movement, in symbols of wealth, so it is revealed that Jordon too is

substantially wealthy. Her chin being raised further emphasizes this as this body
language infers a self-sense of superiority. However Nick then goes on to say as
if she were balancing something, quite likely to fall. This smiley, is implying that
although Jordan exhumes self-superiority, at the same time she is characterized
as threatened, as though something may be dropped or discovered that
negatively influences her position. This relates back to a major theme of the
novel, of deceptive appearances. Thus despite Jordans clear wealth, and almost
arrogant body language, it is clear she is hiding something, connecting back to
Daisys position of being anything but carefree, or light enough to fly.
In conclusion, Fitzgerald throughout this passage uses symbolic and
motivic details in setting, as well as strong characterization to highlight in a
possible corruption in the American dream. Fitzgerald intentionally focuses on
an era of wealth and expenditure from the perspective of one less effected to
highlight that despite the increase of money, and success, ones individual
happiness, and even freedom is not guarantied. In fact is it almost suggested the
very nature of success and money can be the corruption, evident in the frozen
properties of manifestations of wealth, and the distorted and superficial
behavior of Daisy, along with the threatened projection of Jordon. Even in this
short passage the endless contradiction in concepts, and details demonstrate the
destructive effects of a material world.