The Great Gatsby Comprehension and Literary Analysis Blog

            A theme that may be overlooked in The Great Gatsby is Gatsby’s hope for the future. It is significant because much of the characters actions and dreams involve an optimistic look on the future.
            Gatsby is a character that is renowned for his politeness and optimism. Even as a child, Gatsby had hopes of […]

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                Rich or poor? This theme of wealth is brought up constantly during The Great Gatsby, but is first introduced to the reader in the second chapter.  It seems as though there are three main “groups” in The Great Gatsby, the rich and wealthy, the newly rich (no social connections), and the poor.  Fitzgerald displays […]

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, music represents several aspects of Gatsby’s lifestyle.  At a Gatsby party, one hears the highest of the high notes and the lowest of the low because Gatsby’s bands use instruments that go to those extremes.  The high and low instruments mirror the mood range of Gatsby’s parties as […]

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            Many authors use the characters in their books to convey certain messages and themes.  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is no different.  In the book, Tom Buchanan, a rich and snobby businessman, “poses as a guardian of tradition and public values [during the 1920’s]” (Berman).  In other words, Tom stands as a “representative […]

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            Peter Lisca presents a new view of The Great Gatsby in his piece entitled, “Nick Carraway and the Imagery of Disorder.” Peter mentions throughout his criticism that Nick embodies the principles of “order and decorum” (page 3), and all the other characters represent “disorder and indecorum” (page 3). Upon reading Peter’s piece, I thought […]

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   Fitzgerald shows contempt towards the women characters in The Great Gatsby.  He uses the women as temptresses, and they are always doing something wrong.  For example, Daisy constantly spends Tom’s money, while she only stays married to him because he makes her feel safe.  While Tom does cheat on Daisy with Myrtle, Fitzgerald still […]

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One of the first examples of symbolism in The Great Gatsby, the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg on the billboard, reappears again towards the end of the book. These eyes, as seen by Nick in chapter two are “blue and gigantic” and “they look out of no face…[as they] brood on over the solemn dumping ground.”(Fitzgerald […]

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            Myriad wealthy, powerful, and socially high-ranked people fill F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.  In an ironic twist, the elitist and atypical millionaires who frequent Gatsby’s parties blend together.  The identical nature of their lavish and gaudy lives eliminates any character uniqueness.  Tom Buchanan, an extremely wealthy and socially high-ranked elitist, stands as an […]

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