Rhetorical Strategies

·      Antithesis: “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life” (35).

·      Asyndeton: “We went upstairs, through period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new flowers, through dressing-rooms and poolrooms…” (91).

·      Simile: “The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing, like the leg of transit, a thin red circle in the water” (162).

           

            Throughout The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses strategies to portray imagery that is used in this novel. Antithesis, asyndeton, and simile are just some of the devices that Fitzgerald uses to affect his style of writing in this novel. In chapter two, Catherine talks to Nick at Tom’s apartment in New York City. She tells him that Wilson and Myrtle have been living above a garage for eleven years. Fitzgerald, in the next sentence, goes into detail about the second bottle of whiskey that everyone was drinking and later in the paragraph, the author uses an antithesis, which makes the reader think carefully about the meaning behind the sentence, therefore keeping them intrigued in the story. This rhetorical device helps to illuminate the specific way the author manages to keep the reader’s attention throughout the novel. It also is a perfect example of Fitzgerald’s style: he discusses something, goes in depth about another subject, but, somehow, ties it all together so it makes sense to the reader.  Another contribution to Fitzgerald’s style is his constant use of imagery. The asyndeton makes the reader feel as if they are walking through the house and visually experiencing everything the writer is depicting. Fitzgerald frequently uses devices to reveal imagery in this entire novel, which truly affects the manner that language is employed. Another way he portrays imagery is through the use of descriptive similes. Toward the end of the book, Fitzgerald uses a simile to give elaborate details of the setting: a recurring strategy used throughout the story. Although frequently used, this is very effective in his writing because of the image it creates in the reader’s mind. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses several different rhetorical strategies throughout this novel, which reveal his descriptive language and illustrate strong images to create his unique style or writing.