Literary Analysis
The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre
• Historical Novel
Point of View
• 1st Person
• The story is told in flashback
Setting
• New York
–Long Island (East and West Egg)
–Summer
–1922
Symbolism
• Gatsby’s and the Buchanan’s houses
Gatsby’s – gaudiness and showing
off his wealth
Buchanan’s – tasteful
sophistication
• The green light- hope
Symbolism cont.
• The valley of ashes – Death
• Dr. T. J. Eckleberg – God
• Gatsby’s library – Gatsby’s front, he’s
all show
• Gatsby’s letter to Daisy – their love
• The mantle clock – time, time cut short
• East and West Egg – Old
and new money
Symbolism cont.
• Gatsby and the Buchanan’s car
Gatsby’s – showy, yellow
(watered down gold) Buchanan’s –
understated and class
• Heat – passion, anger
Themes
• The Corruption of the American Dream
a. One is only limited by the limits of
one’s dreams.
b. Gatsby believes that the dream can
be bought.
c. Gatsby believes that the past can be
recaptured.
Themes cont.
• Hope
a. Nick reserving judgment is
described as hope.
b. Gatsby has an extraordinary gift
of hope.
c. Gatsby never loses hope to
obtain Daisy.
Themes cont.
• Paradox
a. One should be able to see that things are hopeless, and yet try
to change them.
b. Nick likes Gatsby even though he stands for everything that
he hates.
c. Nick is objective but refuses to take a stand.
d. Nick is the only character who gains insight.
e. Nick claims that he is honest, but sees no obligation to report
things to the police.
Themes cont.
• Self Discovery
a. Nick is the only character that
learns from the mistakes that
have been made.
Themes cont.
• Reality vs. Illusion
a. The American Dream offers a better life, the illusion is that
money alone can bring happiness.
b. Gatsby can’t distinguish between the reality of how Daisy feels
about him and the fantasy.
c. Nick thinks that by going home to the Mid West, his problems
will go away.
d. Jordan faces the illusion that she can lie her
way out of everything.
Themes cont.
• Possessiveness and Jealousy
a. Tom doesn’t love Daisy, but he is possessive and jealous.
b. Daisy hangs onto Tom even though she knows that he is
unfaithful.
c. Gatsby feels as if he owns Daisy.
d. Tom doesn’t love Myrtle, but lies to keep her.
e. Daisy doesn’t love Gatsby, but isn’t honest
with him with her intentions.
Irony
• Tom thinks that women run around too
much these days when he is doing
the same thing.
• Tom states that too many people are
sneering at family values while he is having
an affair
• Jay Gatsby is really James
Gatz
Irony cont.
• The title: What is great about Gatsby?
–Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby
–Gatsby goes to great lengths to hide
his real parents, yet he has taken
good care of his father.
Irony, cont.
• Gatsby’s lies are partly true.
–Nick, Daisy’s cousin, just happened
to move in next door to Gatsby.
–Meyer Wolfsheim is Jewish and
owns the Swastika Holding
Company.
–Only three people show
up for Gatsby’s funeral
After he had entertained thousands