The Great Gatsby - Chapter One Analysis

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  • Created by: Taz_28
  • Created on: 02-05-18 17:32
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  • Chapter One
    • Gatsby
      • "Gastby?... What Gatsby?"
        • Creates intrigue as we don't know who Gatsby is - causes us to want to know Daisy knows him
        • Suggests she no longer cares about him, especially as she doesn't refer to him again.
      • "Fifty feet way, a FIGURE had emerged from the SHADOW of my neighbour's mansion and was STANDING with his hands in his pocket regarding the silver PEPPER OF THE STARS"
        • 'Figure' - unknown' 'Shadow' - of former self/hidden away/facade; 'Standing' - alone/thinking; 'Pepper of the stars' - romantic/ contrasts with bright lights later on
      • "It is what preyed on Gatsby, what FOUL DUST floated in the wake of his DREAMS"
        • Contrast of Gatsby's hope and actual reality; Gatsby is portrayed as a victim of the American Dream. Fitzgerald mirrors Gatsby's (and Myrtle's) death
      • "turned out alright, in the end"
        • Intrigue suggests he experienced conflict/ misfortune in his life
      • "Scorn" vs "Gorgeous"
      • "trembling" - a deep longing
      • Mansion: Hotel de Ville in Normandy; Mansle Swimming Pool
        • Nick is impressed with its grandeur
      • "Content to be alone"
        • "turned out alright, in the end"
          • Intrigue suggests he experienced conflict/ misfortune in his life
    • The Buchanans
      • DAISY
        • Charming; winds up TOm "hulking"; unfulffilled life ("what we'll plan"); cynical("that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool"
      • Wealthy: brought down a string of polo ponies
      • Drifters: spent a year in France for no particular reason
      • Home: Georgian colonial mansion colours - red and white, burning, glistening, shining, gleaming
    • Nick
      • 1st person retrospect
        • possible bias, detailed insight, relationship with narrator
      • "This annoyed me"
        • Obvious dislike of Tom - contradicts his reservation of judgements statement made in the opening of the book
      • "You make me feel uncivilised Daisy"
        • Feels inadequate - perhaps due to his lack of connectivity with people. Possibly insecure?
      • Very quiet, shy, very much an introvert who observes a lot
        • "I'm inclined to observe all judgements"
    • USA
      • Prohibition
        • Created a lot of bootleggers and people who began rich as a result of 'new money' - disliked by traditionally wealthy elite class
      • EAST EGG
        • Wealthy, sophisticated, popular, "fashinable" - Buchannas
      • WEST EGG
        • Less wealthy, tacky(?), unrefined, poor manners/ fashion - Gastby & Nick
      • VALLEY OF THE ASHES
        • Poverty, death and decay (economically, socially - i.e. American Dream) - Myrtle/George Wilson
    • Women
      • Ladies of Leisure
        • "two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon" - full of hot air
        • "her chin raised a little"; "made an attempt to rise"; "I've been lying on that sofa for as long as I can remember"
      • Male dominance
        • "the knuckle was black and blue" - indication of domestic violence
        • "Tom's got some woman in New York" - public knowledge/acceptance of mistresses for the elite was typical
      • Jordan
        • Referred to as Miss Baker - Nick narrates as he meets/gets to know them.
        • Atypical female as she is rude - "If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it"; "You live i West Egg" she remarked impetuously"
      • Indulged/ Bored
        • "I've been everywhere, seen everything and done everything"
          • BUT this 'everything' is confined into what they have been allowed to see/ experience i.e. no real social freedom
            • This was typical of the feminist wave of the 1920s whereby women thought they could be more free but in de facto this was almost impossible
  • TOM
    • Arrogant eyes; fractiousness (short-tempered); rude (interrupts Daisy); racist? (Nordics'
    • The Buchanans
      • DAISY
        • Charming; winds up TOm "hulking"; unfulffilled life ("what we'll plan"); cynical("that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool"
      • Wealthy: brought down a string of polo ponies
      • Drifters: spent a year in France for no particular reason
      • Home: Georgian colonial mansion colours - red and white, burning, glistening, shining, gleaming
  • Green Light
    • Symbolises: Hope, Unobtainable/Unfulfilled dreams
    • Chapter One
      • Gatsby
        • "Gastby?... What Gatsby?"
          • Creates intrigue as we don't know who Gatsby is - causes us to want to know Daisy knows him
          • Suggests she no longer cares about him, especially as she doesn't refer to him again.
        • "Fifty feet way, a FIGURE had emerged from the SHADOW of my neighbour's mansion and was STANDING with his hands in his pocket regarding the silver PEPPER OF THE STARS"
          • 'Figure' - unknown' 'Shadow' - of former self/hidden away/facade; 'Standing' - alone/thinking; 'Pepper of the stars' - romantic/ contrasts with bright lights later on
        • "It is what preyed on Gatsby, what FOUL DUST floated in the wake of his DREAMS"
          • Contrast of Gatsby's hope and actual reality; Gatsby is portrayed as a victim of the American Dream. Fitzgerald mirrors Gatsby's (and Myrtle's) death
        • "Scorn" vs "Gorgeous"
        • "trembling" - a deep longing
        • Mansion: Hotel de Ville in Normandy; Mansle Swimming Pool
          • Nick is impressed with its grandeur
        • "Content to be alone"
        • Nick
          • 1st person retrospect
            • possible bias, detailed insight, relationship with narrator
          • "This annoyed me"
            • Obvious dislike of Tom - contradicts his reservation of judgements statement made in the opening of the book
          • "You make me feel uncivilised Daisy"
            • Feels inadequate - perhaps due to his lack of connectivity with people. Possibly insecure?
          • Very quiet, shy, very much an introvert who observes a lot
            • "I'm inclined to observe all judgements"
        • USA
          • Prohibition
            • Created a lot of bootleggers and people who began rich as a result of 'new money' - disliked by traditionally wealthy elite class
          • EAST EGG
            • Wealthy, sophisticated, popular, "fashinable" - Buchannas
          • WEST EGG
            • Less wealthy, tacky(?), unrefined, poor manners/ fashion - Gastby & Nick
          • VALLEY OF THE ASHES
            • Poverty, death and decay (economically, socially - i.e. American Dream) - Myrtle/George Wilson
        • Women
          • Ladies of Leisure
            • "two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon" - full of hot air
            • "her chin raised a little"; "made an attempt to rise"; "I've been lying on that sofa for as long as I can remember"
          • Male dominance
            • "the knuckle was black and blue" - indication of domestic violence
            • "Tom's got some woman in New York" - public knowledge/acceptance of mistresses for the elite was typical
          • Jordan
            • Referred to as Miss Baker - Nick narrates as he meets/gets to know them.
            • Atypical female as she is rude - "If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it"; "You live i West Egg" she remarked impetuously"
          • Indulged/ Bored
            • "I've been everywhere, seen everything and done everything"
              • BUT this 'everything' is confined into what they have been allowed to see/ experience i.e. no real social freedom
                • This was typical of the feminist wave of the 1920s whereby women thought they could be more free but in de facto this was almost impossible

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