Diction

Diction

            F. Scott Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, uses descriptive diction to depict the genesis of Gatsby’s future as a wealthy man. Gatsby chooses to live a lavish life, opposite to his rough upbringing in North Dakota; yet Gatsby’s heart“[is] in a constant, turbulent riot” (Fitzgerald 99). One can imagine how difficult it is to go against something that is accustomed to them. The connotations of these words truly portray how difficult of a decision this is for Gatsby. “Riot”, the most provocative, represents a revolution taking place within Gatsby. After making the decision, Fitzgerald says Gatsby dreams about “a universe of ineffable gaudiness” every night (99). It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of what Gatsby is dreaming about--infinite possibilities. This does show that Gatsby has such a deep infatuation with this lifestyle, a lifestyle consisting of superficial people who take advantage of Gatsby by the end of the novel. Nights and nights of dreaming have passed and Gatsby finally comes up with a dream “with an oblivious embrace” (99). Fitzgerald’s diction represents his contempt in Gatsby’s decision to live a life of lavishness. The author portrays Gatsby as a naïve young boy who makes a brash decision without knowing the outcome; it is just a dream that shows the “unreality of reality” (99). That is the core meaning of Gatsby’s dream: a dream that is unattainable in reality, yet Gatsby persuades himself that it is achievable. Fitzgerald states that this fascination is “founded securely on a fairy’s wing” (99). By his childish diction, the reader can sense that Gatsby is very immature by hoping that his reverie will come true on the basis of an inanimate object. Throughout the passage, Fitzgerald’s tone is to describe the ineptness of the beginning of Gatsby’s future. He uses very descriptive diction to show the gesticulation of Gatsby’s dream as living a life of wealth and lavishness.