- Aphorism: “ ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’ ” (1).
- Anecdote: “…One autumn night, five years before, they had been walking down street when the leaves were falling, and they came to a place where there were no trees and the sidewalk was white with moonlight…” (110).
- Imagery: “…Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes” (84).
- Simile: “…then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk” (14).
- Juxtaposition: “…and I was conscious of wanting to look squarely at every one, and yet to avoid all eyes” (15).
Fitzgerald employs countless different rhetorical strategies, emphasizing his vague and detailed style. Nick Carraway begins the novel with an aphorism, which intends to foreshadow the approaching bias judgment to come toward Gatsby. The aphorism serves to reserve judgment and be left as a moral, thus revealing the author’s confessional style. “…One autumn night…” (110), begins the narrator to orate an anecdote, as a result adding energy to the piece and providing a sense of one-on-one intimate story-telling between the author and the reader. Consequently, anecdotes such as this one promote the author’s confessional expression. Fitzgerald’s detailed writing continues to build interest into the novel with his use of other rhetorical strategies such as imagery and similes, which contribute to crystal clear images and profound comparisons along with satire. Juxtaposition in the author’s work creates an immediate couple second confusion but also adds a ridiculous ironic effect, for Carraway desires to have direct eye contact and yet avoid all eye contact at the same time. In an obvious manner, rhetorical strategies in The Great Gatsby make the novel exceedingly grasping.
I had never noticed the way that Fitzgerlad uses anecdotes to create a conversational tone; however, now i recognize that this is an exceedingly important component of his style as an author. That aspect of his writing coupled with his extremely clear and lucid way of portraying things creates the unique experience of reading this novel. Even when he uses ironic juxtapositions, the author does it in a way that is gripping and effective and i agree that it makes for an extremely grasping book.
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