Write about some of Fitzgerald’s narrative methods in Chapter 2.
Throughout the novel, the story is being narrated in first person. At the very beginning it is in the present, and Nick is sharing some context before he goes on and reminisces to tell the story. When he starts to tell he story, he seems to be telling it from memory giving ideas of how significant this story is and that he looks out for series of details within situations.
Since Fitzgerald uses first person narrative, these blocks out an outside perspective as events are mainly shown through Nick’s eyes. However on the first page of Chapter 2, it can be seen as a transition into third-person; as the narrator, Nick is describing the area between West Egg and New York, the descriptions comes across as more of a free indirect style. An example of this would be the repetition of “ash” “ashes” on the page, this could also resemble to Nick as he did fought in the war; although within the whole page, there is no personal feeling or opinion to the description he gives. Within the novel, this could portray how the area lacks in being glamour and for Tom to go by there to get to New York (to be with Myrtle) could suggest how he also lacks in glamour, therefore is going to New York to seek something different (Myrtle). As it is in first-person narrative, this comes especially odd when he starts to talk about T.J eckle burg’s eyes. Nick mentioned that the billboard was one yard high, and T.J eckle burg barely had a face; this could have connotations to humans having lost the connection they once had with God. Despite so, Nick has never mentioned what he personally thought about the billboard, whether he thought it was interesting or an odd billboard.
One other main method that Fitzgerald uses in the novel would be the structure. In Chapter 2, it begins off with constant similar paragraphs as Nick describes the ashes and T.J eckleburg. This constant structure then starts to change, as Nick starts to feel uncomfortable due to the events that Tom takes Nick to his New York apartment which is shared with Myrtle. Most of the time Nick attempts to appears neutral and slightly like a third-person narrative, his thoughts presences could be told through the structures of the pages and dialogs. For page 34 and 35, this filled with dialog as Nick is at the party and meeting new people, who are gossiping and talking about the man who lives next door to him. As Nick himself is interested within the little details that are being told about Gatsby, it is just dialog after dialog without the he said, or I replied. Evidence to this would be “I was down there at a party a month ago. At a man named Gatsby’s. Do you know him?” Straight after this would be Nick replying, “I live next door to him”. This is then continued onto the next page, however the topic has changed and so have the people within the convocation has changed too. The structure changes again, as this time Nick is not in the convocation but is just listening.
A final method used by Fitzgerald would be symbolism. Within Chapter 2 of this novel, the party at Tom and Myrtle’s place in New York is the first party which Nick shares with the reader about what happened and also that it was the second time he has ever got drunk in his life. At this point, Gatsby is yet to make a full appearance which implies that Fitzgerald uses the party scene to continue building an aura of mystery and excitement around Gatsby. Even though he is only mentioned at one point of the party, the last say that was said about Gatsby was an immense cliff-hanger; evidence to this would be “I’m scared of him. I’d hate to have him get anything on me”. This conveys him to be a threatening man, and Nick was very intrigued by this as he called it “absorbing information” which could imply that he was more interested in why, than threatened with them words.
“In The Great Gatsby the lower social classes are presented as crude and vulgar.” How do you respond to this view?
In The Great Gatsby, the main lower social class people that are presented are Myrtle and Wilson. Although they are both in the lower social class, they are still completely different from each other; especially since Myrtle is having an affair with Tom. To an extent, Myrtle is not presented as crude and vulgar even when she is around Wilson. In the 1920s when this novel was set, it was known that there was an increase in freedom and recklessness which Myrtle follows; making her not crude and vulgar but the opposite. Evidence to this would be when Nick first saw Myrtle, and was describing her from the way “she smiled slowly” to the description of her “wet lips”. In the 1920s, it was also known that people were challenging their social status, sexuality, and spiritual boundaries; this could relate to Myrtle getting together with Tom who is from another social status to herself and Wilson. However the crude and vulgar description could fit into Wilson, evidence to this would be when Tom was telling Nick about Wilson and said “So dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive”. Reasons to this could be because he accepts that he is in the lower social class, and worries more about his career and business than to follow every step of his wife. It could also portrays his trust for Myrtle to let her go “visit” her sister often, rather than him being naive about the whole affair issue.
From the setting description of where Myrtle and Wilson live, it could be seen as they are presented to be crude and vulgar. An example of this would be “valley of ashes”; this has connotations for having no moral vision; as it is unclear and too misty for there to be source of real vision. The imagery within this would bring ideas for the people who live there, to be not as sophisticated as Tom and Daisy who lives in East Egg since the description of the place lacks in glamour, therefore the people who choose to live there must lack in glamour too. Another example of the description to where Myrtle and Wilson live would be that it was said to be surrounded by “wasteland”; this suggests that they are in the middle class. Since it is still the beginning of the novel, where the reader thinks that the narrator is reliable; this idea is left in the readers mind for future reference.
Some may believe that Myrtle, as women in the lower social class is not presented as crude and vulgar throughout the novel at all. The main evidence to this would be in Chapter 2, when they are at Myrtle and Tom’s apartment in New York. Within the party scene, Myrtle adopts a new personality where she is in an affair and she gets something that she wants, money and power. This is mentioned by Nick on page 33 when Myrtle has just changed dresses, “With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change”. As the party goes on, she starts to see herself superior to her guests and also seeing herself equal to Tom. This makes Myrtle continuously shouting out “Daisy, Daisy Daisy” eventually Tom breaks her nose, this can be seen as Tom putting Myrtle back in her own social status and back to reality. This can also show the hidden side to the Jazz age, for the lower social class like Myrtle may had experienced.
Write about the significance of the ways the three writers you have studied create and use suspense in their narratives.
One of the main techniques used within the three writers, Fitzgerald, McCarthy and Auden would be the setting. Throughout The Road, McCarthy continuously reminds the reader of the darkness and colourless Road that is upon the Man and Boy. An example of this would be “the thin black trees burning”, this creates suspense as it could be foreshadowing a future event to the main characters; as “burning” is commonly associated with negative aspects and a possible life coming to an end as the “thin black trees” were burning, since trees are apart of nature and so are humans. Another example of this would be the abandoned houses, cities and even the world. This creates suspense as the reader is likely to know that this is a dystopian text and would be intrigued of to what is to happen next, especially to the two characters that are focalised through the novel. This is shown when the Man and Boy come to a house, and find supplies however they only decide to stay for a few nights and no longer than a week. This also creates suspense as the reader would be curious whether where the owner of the house has gone, whether they will come back or will someone else find the two main characters in the house.
Fitzgerald uses the setting to create suspense for the novel The Great Gatsby too. Unlike The Road, where the description of the setting creates a constant suspense throughout the novel; for The Great Gatsby is it just one area in particular, the “valley of ashes” that lies between West Egg and East Egg. As the novel is set in the 1920s, this “valley of ashes” could be create suspense as it may be seen as a haunting the mood of a glamorous, wild time may never come again; due to the Jazz age and the hidden side to it. Another suspense created by the setting in this novel would be the separation of East and West Egg. Once the reader has finished the novel, they can see the stretch of water as the barrier between East and West Egg; leading to ideas that the two cannot be mixed as there were consequences that were paid off.
Auden also uses the setting in his poems to create suspense too; evidence to this would be in O What Is That Sound. The setting in this poem is suggested to be on a hillside town, as “down in the valley” and “over the distance” is mentioned; this could create suspense as hillside towns are usually rural, therefore have a sparse population. This tells the reader that the people that are coming towards the two narrators are likely to be seeking for the right people, which creates the suspense of what kind of people are the two narrators, or what have they done. One of his other poems that support this idea would be Victor. The setting throughout the poem includes the season of the year, which also relates to Victor himself. An example of this would be “frosty December”, this brings suspense as it could portray the happy Christmas time coming, or forebode a future event. In the poem, there is no mention of Victor’s mother; which could associate to having a “frosty December” without the warm love of a mother. This creates even more suspense; Victor is in a broken family and could end up on a negative path compared to someone who was bought up with both parents.
The season changing in Victor also relates to Time, which is another technique the three writers use within their narratives to create suspense too. Victor meets Anna, the love of his life in April; when it is spring and indicating that he is also starting to feel warm inside now he has her love. Victor then marries her in August, symbolising the real warmth he has felt for the first time in his life. The suspense here would be that, as the months goes on; does his feelings change? Or does their relationship change? Time is used significantly in As I Walked Out One Evening too, and creating suspense as “Time” is personified. Evidence to this would be in line 35, “Time breaks the threaded dances”; this portrays that time will break one of your skills; therefore use it wisely within the time you have. It can also imply that over time, your skills will turn into threads, which are thin and can eventually break.
Fitzgerald also uses Time to create suspense in The Great Gatsby. An example of this would be in Chapter 5, Gatsby and Daisy have reunited; but due to Gatsby’s nervousness and attempt to stop time to retrieve the past causes him to knock of Nick’s clock. This creates suspense as concisely Gatsby knows what he is doing, is likely to happen; due to Daisy being with Tom now despite his affair with Myrtle. The clock is trying to get him back to reality, but will he listen to his conscience? It could also convey that his and Daisy’s time together has run out, things have changed and its time to move on. It could also forebode future events, as someone’s time is about to run up.