· Allusion:
o “I bought a dozen volumes on banking and credit and investment securities, and they stood on my shelf in red and gold like new money from the mint, promising to unfold the shining secrets that only Midas and Morgan and Maecenas knew” (4).
o “The last swimmers have come in from the beach now, and are dressing up-stairs; the cars from New York are parked five feet deep in the drive, and already the halls and the salons and verandas are gaudy with primary colors, and hair shorn in strange ways, and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile” (40).
o “This fella’s a regular Belasco” (45).
o “It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night – and, as obscurely as it had begun, his career as Trimalchio was over” (113).
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s consistent use of mythological and historical allusions is used in order to characterize Jay Gatsby; and by connecting him with figures of affluence, the author is able to represent the significance of his persona in the novel. His style of correlation references to Gatsby’s’ personality is prevalent and is effective in depicting the prestige Gatsby holds in society, as well as the splendor he lives in. Midas, a greedy king in a Greek legend, was given the power to turn anything he touched into gold; which is portrayed in the novel through Gatsby’s wealth. Castile is a region in Spain that was home to a former medieval kingdom; in turn, this reference displays the power and authority that Gatsby has on West Egg. When Gatsby is described as “Belasco,” a theatrical producer of the late 19c, Fitzgerald is subtly implying that Gatsby’s mansion was a center of attraction, and that he provided lavish parties and celebrations for others, simply because he wanted to entertain in hopes of finding Daisy. Finally, the author uses his style of constantly employing allusions to describe Gatsby as “Trimalchio,” a character in a Roman novel who attained power and wealth through perseverance and hard work; a figure whose story directly correlates with Gatsby’s. By utilizing various allusions from history and literature, the author is able to bring subtle references to the novel, which become prominent features of his writing style.
· Parallelism: “There were the same people, or at least the same sort of people, the same profusion of champagne, the same many-colored, many-keyed combination” (104).
· Hyperbole/Personification: “On Sunday morning while the church bells rang in the villages alongshore, the world and its mistress returned to Gatsby’s house and twinkled hilariously on his lawn” (61).
Fitzgerald’s use of hyperbole enables him to use over-exaggerated descriptions in order to convey the decadence and merriment that could be found at Gatsby’s parties. By saying that “the world…returned to Gatsby’s house,” he is implying that it was always a lavish event, and that anyone who had a high status in society would be present there. However, he contradicts the excitement of Gatsby’s celebrations by utilizing parallelism, which adds a monotonous tone to his writing. His use of rhetorical strategies to eventually contradict precious statements becomes a notable aspect of his writing style, and effectively gets his message across to the readers.
· Anaphora:
o “Filled with faces dead and gone. Filled with friends now gone forever” (70).
o “I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride” (177).
Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald utilizes anaphora to depict the disparities present before and after turning points in the plot. From the beginning, he establishes Nick as an honest character who always seems to know the difference between right and wrong, and is firm in his beliefs. However, after the car accident, when he talks to Jordan, she speaks through the author’s integration of parallelism, showing that what she “thought” is difference than reality, which is that all along, Nick was willing to compromise his morals and values. Furthermore, in a different passage, the author writes with this literary device in order to illustrate how even though certain places in the city are empty, they are “filled” with remnants of the past. Overall, Fitzgerald’s use of anaphora to depict passage of time is a stylistic component of his writing that aids in delineating the plot.
I admire your insight into the meaning and influence of the rhetorical devices. In your first excerpt, I agree with the connections that you made to the allusions made to describe Gatsby. The allusions add depth to his character and they make him more tangible because one can picture those other people and relate them to Gatsby. Those people have similar personalities to Gatsby and, like you said, they add to his credibility and show his power and wealth. However, in your second excerpt, I do not agree with the notion that Fitzgerald's use of parallelism makes his writing monotonous. I believe that it adds depth to the story.
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