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Caitlyn Connolly
Dr. Robinson
American Literature II
6 December 2011
A Hollow Luxury
F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most poetic novelists of American literature. He employs
many poetic techniques that aid in the depiction of the complicated relationships, feelings and
lives of his characters. Fitzgeralds greatest novel, The Great Gatsby, is a prime example of his
poetic finesse. Nick Carraway, the narrator, meets the mysterious Jay Gatsby who seems to
mesmerize everyone with his luxurious lifestyle and cool demeanor. Fitzgerald allows the reader
to see how Gatsbys extravagant exterior is just a faade and that the upper class of East and
West Egg lead hollow lives. The only things these aristocrats fill their lives with are money and
wild imagination.
Fitzgerald uses several poetic devices in The Great Gatsby to both build up and strip
away the glorified exterior of upper class status from the characters. Fitzgerald constructs
Gatsbys faade through the incessant pull of the past and Gatsbys dreams of a bigger and better
lifestyle as a theme. Metaphors further build upon this exterior by painting a vivid picture of
Gatsbys larger-than-life imagination. Symbolism is utilized to provide the reader with a physical
manifestation of what lingers behind the upper classs faade and therefore deconstructing it.
Dialogue also replaces high-speed action throughout most of the book and illustrates the strain
and tension of the relationships between characters as they are pushed to their breaking point.
Through these devices, Fitzgerald is able to develop the grand upper class faade, only to
poetically break it down in order to showcase how dysfunctional the upper class truly is. This, in
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turn, disillusions the readers envy of their glamorous lives and illustrates the constant
dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment that these members of society feel.
All of the characters in the novel have a piece of their past that they are running away
from. Gatsby, in particular, commits himself to leaving his past behind him; however, he never
fully achieves this. This struggle is Gatsbys biggest vulnerability and eventually breaks down
his alluring exterior. Many people are acquainted with Gatsby, but have only heard wild rumors
about his past. Nick attempts to piece them together, but reache[s] the point of believing
everything and nothing about him (107). Whenever Gatsby is close to being defined, something
is thrown in the mix that eludes the image.
When his true history is eventually divulged, the reader learns how Jay Gatsby
abandoned his birth name and identity, James Gatz, in an effort to separate himself from the
dismal life that his parents lived. His transformation from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby occurs when
he meets Dan Cody, an upper class citizen with a yacht. As he grows closer with Cody, Gatsby
becomes enamored with his lifestyle: the yacht represented all the beauty and glamor in the
world (106). Gatsbys fascination with the ritzy life of Dan Cody is similar to the readers
fascination with the upper class. Dan Cody and his yacht embody everything that James Gatz
sought in life and consequently creates the faade of Jay Gatsby to claim the coveted upper
class status that he longs for. Here, Fitzgerald is explicitly showing the reader that all of glamour
of the upper class is just faade that overcompensates for their longing of emotional fulfillment.
Even though Gatsby abandoned his old life as James Gatz, he continues to hold onto his
past as Jay Gatsby. His history with Daisy pulls at Gatsby relentlessly. As Dan Cody represented
Gatsbys dream, Daisys love and upper class status blends into that dream as well: He talked a
lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself
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perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy (117). It is not exclusively Daisy that entices him; it is
the idea of himself that will result from being with her. Gatsby unifies his past and dreams of
the future together as one, and it is this connection that leads to Gatsbys demise. He is unable to
separate from his past enough to move towards his dreams of the future. His imagination runs
wild as he drives his dreams beyond her, beyond everything (101). If Gatsby is truly able to
win the affection of Daisy, a true upper class citizen, he will no longer have to pretend to be in
the upper class: he will be a part of it. His dreams become so big that they are always out of
reach: he looked around wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just
out of reach of his hand (117). Fitzgerald strings this theme through the novel to show the
reader how unfulfilled the upper class feels. He builds up the greatness of Gatsbys faade and
the slowly strips it away as the reader finds how unsatisfied Gatsby is, even as an upper class
citizen. Although Gatsby has all of the material objects he desires, he is still searching and
longing for emotional fulfillment.
Fitzgerald concludes the novel with a metaphor that encapsulates the theme and leaves
the reader to muse over about the unrelenting pull of the past: So we beat on, boats against the
current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (189). Fitzgerald suggests that we, like Gatsby are
prisoners to the ebb and flow of life which is always anchored in the past. It was not until his
death that Gatsby is able to sever this tie to the past. No one aside from Nick and Gatsbys father
attends his funeral. All of the upper class citizens that Gatsby made ties with were simply too
busy to pay their respects to the man with the wild imagination. The shows even further how
behind the grand faade, the upper class is detached from emotional connection and fulfillment
As seen in the previous example, Fitzgerald often uses metaphor to explain a concept that
cannot be literally or physically described. Metaphors tie concrete images to an idea or feeling
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that is complex and intangible in order for the reader to make sense of what is being said.
Fitzgerald often combines grandiose images with simple images. The contrast of images is a
reflection of Gatsbys larger-than-life imagination against the commonplace life he desperately
sought to leave behind him. When describing a moment from Gatsbys past, Fitzgerald states,
Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place
above the trees he could climb to, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap
of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder (117). Fitzgerald takes the image of an
ordinary sidewalk and transforms it into the expansive image of a ladder reaching into the sky.
Gatsby, at the time an outsider, was infatuated with the elusive upper class and craved to be in
the secret place above the trees where the upper class resides. Additionally, he knows that he
cannot be with Daisy at his current lower class status, but he is willing to climb the metaphorical
ladder of success to be on the same level as her. In order to do so, Gatsby must continue to
build his extravagant exterior.
To portray Gatsbys building faade, Fitzgerald again uses metaphor to depict his wild
imagination: A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while the clock ticked
on the wash-stand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor (105).
Fitzgerald contrasts the wide-reaching image of a universe of ineffable gaudiness against the
mundane image of a wash-stand. These images correspond with Gatsbys longing to live in his
imagination and not be tied down by ordinary tasks like washing laundry. The readers also have
this aspiration to live extravagantly, but Fitzgerald reveals through the exaggeration of Gatsbys
imagination that these aspirations are less than glorious and unachievable.
Fitzgerald continues the use of metaphor this time, to depict the moment that Gatsbys
dream of being with Daisy blends into his dream of being an upper class citizen: So he waited,
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listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed
her. At his lips touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete
(117). A tuning fork is an instrument that sustains a singular note upon being struck on
something. The tuning fork represents Gatsbys sustained focus on achieving his dreams of the
upper class. As Daisy opens herself up and blossoms, the birth or incarnation of his dream of
being with Daisy merges with his dreams of being in the upper class. Fitzgerald shows reinforces
that this focus can be detrimental to the reader, because Gatsbys dreams become so large that he
cannot focus on anything else and consequently pushes all other aspects of his life aside.
In addition to metaphor, Fitzgerald uses the poetic device of symbolism. However, where
metaphor is used to build Gatsbys faade, symbolism is used to break it down. Symbolism takes
a concrete object and places it during key moments to give emphasis that provides the reader
with a more profound meaning of the text. Nature is able to bring a reality to the characters that
goes beyond their false facades. Wind and heat appear repeatedly to contrast the calm and
collected environment of East and West Egg against the hazy and erratic tension brewing as
Daisy and Gatsby carry on their affair. Gatsby, Daisy and Tom put an immense amount of effort
into shielding their true emotions. However, the weather is an external and tangible object that is
able to portray what they are feeling inside.
The wind, known for its strength and unpredictability, signifies a moment of change for
the characters in the novel. During a fateful moment with Gatsbys idol, Dan Cody, Gatsby rows
out to warn Cody of a wind [that] might catch him (104). To his misfortune, Cody gets swept
up by the wind and changing currents. This is also the moment from which James Gatz
transforms into Jay Gatsby: it was James Gatz who had been loafing along the beach that
afternoon in a torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants, but it was already Jay Gatsby who
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borrowed a row-boat, pulled out to the Tuolomee and informed Cody that a wind might catch
him (104). The wind symbolizes the moment of Gatsbys transformation from an ordinary
lifestyle to a fantastical one and also provides the foundation of his lavish exterior. Similarly,
during Daisy and Gatsbys hopeful reunion, the wind progresses from slight to disruptively
boisterous. An hour of profound human change occurs as the lost lovers reconnect (101). This
moment of change represents Gatsby taking one step closer to achieving his elaborate dream.
Eventually Gatsbys grand faade becomes a burden and a hindrance on his pursuit of
extravagance. In Gatsbys final moments, a flurry of wind disturbs the peace in his pool with an
accidental burden (170). This final portrayal of wind signifies the total break down of Gatsbys
exterior and marks the moment of change when Gatsby must accept defeat and let go of his
dream forever. Although Gatsby is immensely steadfast in maintaining the focus on his dream,
the uncontrollable winds of life sweep Gatsbys dreams away from him.
Fitzgerald continues to relate weather to the undoing of Gatsby and Daisys facade. He
joins the hottest day of the summer with the most climactic confrontation of the novel. As Tom
finally confronts Gatsby about his affair with Daisy, the tension and heat both become
agonizingly unbearable. Daisy continuously mentions the heat as a distraction from the real
conflict. Daisy states, its so hot [] [a]nd everythings so confused (125). For Daisy, the heat
intrudes enough that it becomes the physical manifestation of the tension building throughout the
room. Fitzgerald uses words like deep and oppressive to describe the heat of that day as
well. The heat is able to penetrate the cool demeanor of Gatsby, Daisy and Tom as it eventually
melts their social graces away and forces them to confront the elephant in the room.
Another device that Fitzgerald uses to break down the characters exteriors throughout
this confrontation is dialogue. There are many ways that Fitzgerald uses dialogue to accentuate
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his characters flaws. Because action takes a back seat in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald makes his
use of dialogue crucial. Since the story is told through the singular, limited, first person point of
view of Nick Carraway, the reader is only able to receive information from the people that he is
interacting with. If Fitzgerald had chosen to describe these social interactions without dialogue,
the readers would only have a vague idea of how these characters interact with each other and
therefore unable to see past their superficial relationships.
During this pivotal confrontation, the dialogue between Gatsby, Tom and Daisy pushes
their already strained relationships to their breaking points. Gatsby is on the cusp of winning
Daisy back into his life; but first, he must get Daisy to confront her husband. Jordan and Nick act
as neutral bystanders during the impending confrontation and watch their friends seemingly
unbreakable facades crumble at their feet. As the dialogue begins, the characters attempt to
remain socially graceful and restrict the topic of conversation to the oppressive heat outside.
They must at all costs, maintain the poised faade of the upper class. Daisy, unable to withstand
the pressure, begins to break down through her dialogue and attempts to dig into deeper issues:
Whatll we do with ourselves this afternoon [] and the day after that, and the next thirty
years? (125). Daisys initial statement is not anything out of the ordinary, but she begins to
cross the boundary from cordial conversation into confrontation as she continues. However,
Jordan provides a retort meant to push Daisy back into the invisible boundary: Dont be
morbid (125). Because Jordan is on the outside of the conflict, she is able to stop Daisy from
continuing into dangerous waters.
As Tom and Gatsby converse with each other, they struggle to remain amiable through
their brewing aggression. Tom is aware of his wifes affair with Gatsby and is determined to
reveal Gatsbys true self in the hope that it will deter Daisy from leaving him. This is the point
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where Toms tough exterior begins to break down. The conflict is not evident in Tom and
Gatsbys literal words; the conflict is shown in the way their tone is described. The depiction of
tone is in the commentary that Fitzgerald weaves through the dialogue. Gatsby is described as
speaking with an effort while Tom replies savagely (126). Both attempt to cling to the last
bits of their poise and facades before the confrontation exposes their vulnerabilities.
Fitzgerald shows the reader that what is behind the lavish upper class faade is nothing
but individuals leading empty, hollow lives. Gatsby concentrates all of his efforts towards being
apart of the upper class; but once he is there, he continues to long for something more. Not even
Gatsbys death is enough to engage the glamorous citizens of East and West Eggs emotional
attachment to anything. They show no affection or regard for the absence of Gatsby because their
facades remove them from reality. They clutch desperately to their social graces and the
appearance of fanciful lives so heavily that their lives go on emotionally unfulfilled and
unsatisfied. Through his use of poetic techniques, Fitzgerald is able to break the readers fixation
of the upper class. He builds up Gatsbys high expectations of the upper class and extravagant
faade only to break it down through metaphor, symbolism and dialogue. The theme of the
incessantly pulling past eventually wears Gatsby down and exposes his vulnerability to the
reader. The demise of Gatsby strips away the glory from the faade of the upper class and
cautions the readers to be careful what they wish for.