Preview

Examples Of Irony In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
446 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Irony In The Great Gatsby
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby, the theme of the attractive masks of unpleasant realities is present in the first chapter. Nick Carraway, the persona of this great American novel, introduces his relative Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom in this chapter as people everyone would desire to be as the two are not only wealthy but aristocratic (Fitzgerald 9-11). Despite seeming to lead completely flawless lives due to how privileged they are, Daisy and Tom really do not, for their marriage is in name only. This is so because, like many women from old money families, she married Tom since he is her equal financially and socially, not because they are in love with each other. Daisy’s constant need to maintain her lavish lifestyle is what forces her to stay with Tom even though he is not exactly the man he appears to be as he is neither a committed husband nor father in actuality. …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald to expose the hypocrisy of Tom’s mistress, Myrtle. In this chapter, Tom takes her from her home in the valley of ashes to his Morning Heights apartment where she meets her sister Catherine with whom she engages in a conversation. During their exchange, Myrtle discusses how people solely care about money and material possessions and goes on to provide an example of such behavior (Fitzgerald 35). What she fails to realize is she is not any better than the people she scorns, for she stopped on their way to his apartment because she wanted him to purchase her a dog which demonstrates she is with him not because she loves him, but because he can provide her with what her husband cannot: luxurious
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Great Gatsby and Bell Jar Analysis Paper
    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Great Gatsby and Bell Jar Analysis Paper

    The Great Gatsby focuses around several characters, all of whom see reality in a different perspective. We are introduced to Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Daisy is characterized as a sort of air-headed woman who believes a woman’s looks are more important than their intelligence. She lives her life in a delusional fantasy in which there is no time frame for anything and nothing really has any substance. She is portrayed through the duration of the novel as being confused not really knowing what’s going on at all. Her reality seems to be nothing at all, shown by her spending days sitting on the couch with Jordan Baker, and not having any opinion as to where to go during the evening. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, is a character that readers are introduced to as a pompous, selfish, arrogant man who does whatever he likes. He even has a mistress in the city, and finds nothing wrong with his “dual life”. Tom’s take on reality is blurred by his self-centered agenda. He even goes as far as making George Wilson, his mistresses’ husband, beg him to sell his car to George, knowing all the while that he is sleeping with his wife. This twisted act further shows just how altered Tom’s reality is in his mind. On the other side of the spectrum, Jay Gatsby is living in a world where a big house, lavish parties, and material objects will win over the only person he cares…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Satire In The Great Gatsby
    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Satire In The Great Gatsby

    Gatsby himself is the best example of the perverted new American dream. Gatsby gets his money through bootlegging. He does whatever he can to get rich and what got him rich was illegal and immoral activities. “You’re one of the bunch that hangs around with Meyer Wolfshiem- that much I happen to know. I’ve mad a little investigation into your affairs and carry it further tomorrow” (Pg. 104). This quote shows Tom accusing Gatsby of being a bootlegger. Gatsby gets rich just to get Daisy. The satire shown is that no matter how much money Gatsby has he is never happy and all he needs is Daisy but Daisy will not like him unless he is rich. This shows how the only thing Americans care about is money and how the American dream is no longer. Myrtle…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Irony In Chapter 2 Of The Great Gatsby
    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Is The Irony In Chapter 2 Of The Great Gatsby

    In this passage from the opening paragraph of Chapter 2, Nick introduces the valley of ashes. His illustration of the lifeless, colorless valley indicates the aristocratic disdain for the impoverished class. The first sentence displays motion; the word “runs” and the unique phrase, “shrink away,” produce an image of hurried, uneasy movement away from the valley. The motor road, a symbol of West Egg’s self-sufficiency, and the railroad, a symbol of East Egg’s access to privilege, “hastily” join together to shield themselves from a “certain desolate area of land.” Nick uses these words to link the Eggs together in their desire to distance and distract themselves from poverty. In the following sentence, Nick compares the valley to a “fantastic…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Figurative Language In The Great Gatsby
    • 62 Words
    • 1 Page

    Examples Of Figurative Language In The Great Gatsby

    Saying that “her voice is full of money” could show the linguistic markers of a stereotypical rich, white, 1920s American. Nick also says, in a different quote, that Daisy speaks in a low murmur so that whoever is listening has to be near to be able to hear her, as opposed to Gatsby’s newer wealth which he has to show…

    • 62 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Myrtle In The Great Gatsby
    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Myrtle In The Great Gatsby

    Gatsby is a very wishful man who only wants to be reunited with Daisy. However, there is a barrier withholding him from getting to her. This barrier is made obvious when the narrator begins to describe Gatsby's past. “However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible clock of his uniform might slip from his shoulders” (Fitzgerald 149). No matter what Gatsby does, he can't change the fact that he is originally from a lesser class and that Daisy would only love him for his wealth. The barrier still remains even though Gatsby gains wealth and rises in social status because of his origins and the type of money he has. Gatsby has 'new money', where as Daisy has 'old money'. Gatsby is internally conflicted because he wants Daisy but his money and past keep them separated. This proves the idea that individuals are separated by money and social standings because Gatsby couldn't have Daisy because of their differences in wealth. This internal struggle with Gatsby shows the authors use of conflict. Another example of this is Myrtles conflict with money. The place where Myrtle lives, The Valley of Ashes, is a desolate and run-down town. Its covered with ash and is very vacant. "The only building in sight was a small block of yellow…

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Wit In The Great Gatsby
    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Wit In The Great Gatsby

    F. Scott Fitzgerald presents many themes in this novel, The Great Gatsby. One of the…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did The Great Gatsby Fail
    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Did The Great Gatsby Fail

    Scott Fitzgerald of “The Great Gatsby”, gives his readers signs on why Gatsby will not reach fail and lost his mind in a fantasy world, insisting himself to relive the past life with his former love Daisy. Even though Gatsby is blinded by his past, he is able to gain the American Dream, to obtain the wealth and power to win Daisy’s heart back. Although he has forgotten, it has been five years since he has reunited with Daisy. When time passes, memories are made and decisions are formed to each individual's future and the Daisy he once knew he no longer can comprehend, because of his unrealistic dream. In addition, Gatsby’s does not give up and his desires do come to life when Nick brings them together, and a bond is connected not from true love but from the aspect of materialism. Lastly, Gatsby’s real life has been reviled by Tom who was jealous of his wealth and due to the pressure Daisy detached herself from the situation. Gatsby has failed to relive his past, because even though she had loved him Daisy will love wealth and social class she belongs to.…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Dishonesty In The Great Gatsby
    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Dishonesty In The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby portrays a variety of realities that happen in everyday life and that are at times not spoken of but need attention called out to, realities such as dishonesty and affairs, are delicate topics that Fitzgerald brings up to the audience. Dishonesty and affair issues are seen through Tom and the involvement he has with another woman while married to Daisy since he openly admits it to Nick, ordering “We’re getting off!’ he insisted ‘I Want you to meet my girl” (928). Of course, when he said ‘girl’ he was not referring to Daisy, he was cynically accepting the affair he was having with her and in way, one might say, proud by the tone he used, almost excitedly saying it. Fitzgerald does not hide the fact that it is an issue that needs some calling out and in the process also breaks the stereotype that it is only men who are disloyal since, Myrtle, Tom’s “girl” is also a married woman having an affair on her husband with…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Greed In The Great Gatsby
    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Greed In The Great Gatsby

    Gatsby endows Daisy with an idealistic perfection that she cannot possibly achieve in reality and pursues her with a passionate zeal that blinds him to her limitations. His dream of her disintegrates, revealing the corruption that wealth causes and the unworthiness of the goal, much in the way Fitzgerald sees the American dream crumbling in the 1920s, as America’s powerful optimism, vitality, and individualism become subordinated to the amoral pursuit of…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examples Of Love In The Great Gatsby
    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Examples Of Love In The Great Gatsby

    Daisy is a woman of inherited wealth; a member of the rich elite class in society. Nick mentions that Gatsby “[takes] her under false pretenses. [Nick] [doesn’t] mean that [Gatsby] [has] traded on his phantom millions, but he [has] deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he [lets] her believe that he [is] a person from much the same stratum as herself--- that he was fully able to take care of her,” (149). Gatsby understands that he is not qualified by the unwritten laws of society to be with Daisy. He knows that such a relationship will be shunned by the laws of social life during this time. However, the forbidden fruit is the sweetest. Even though a relationship with Daisy is essentially prohibited, Gatsby strives to be of her class and for the time being lies to her about his social status. He makes her believe that he can support her comfortably in order to give himself a chance at winning over her heart. He learns that Daisy is swayed by money just as much as she is swayed by the looks or charm of a man. Therefore he devotes his life, from the moment of his first kiss with Daisy to the present time, to accruing a vast amount of wealth and notoriety. He purchases a mansion across the bay from Daisy’s residence perhaps in the hopes that one day she may be interested in this grandiose house lit up like a…

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Selfish Analysis
    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Great Gatsby Selfish Analysis

    Throughout the novel, Gatsby is superficially characterized as an altruistic individual with the intent of masquerading his reinvented self’s malicious character. Furthermore, on a deeper level, one can trace instances of self-centeredness that Gatsby exudes as he intends to inch himself closer towards Daisy. Additionally, the amalgamation of this selfish nature of his and his crippling moral compass reveals a manipulative aspect of his persona. Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy can be characterized as both selfish and incessantly manipulative. Gatsby’s undeviating belief that Daisy must confess her love to him and only him leads to the deduction that he only cares about himself; his utter disregard for Tom Buchanan corroborates this assumption because…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Identity Analysis
    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Great Gatsby Identity Analysis

    In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the theme of outward appearances is evident as the novel progresses through the artificial world created by Jay Gatsby. Driven by his obsessive love for Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby becomes so consumed with the idea of becoming what the narrator Nick describes as Gatsby’s “platonic conception of himself” (104), or the idealistic self-image he has created in his mind, that Gatsby ultimately loses sense of his own true identity. In turn, Daisy aspires to become “a beautiful little fool” (21) and flow through life carefree and indecisive reflecting what she believes to be the epitome of a woman living in the 1920’s. Ultimately, both Gatsby and Daisy aspire to achieve the American dream of elevating or maintaining their economic and social standing through the use of perception and outward appearance to the extent that they disregard…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay - The Great Gatsby (Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom)
    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay - The Great Gatsby (Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom)

    In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, we are presented with two very different but similar men, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, who find themselves stuck in a love triangle with the desirable Daisy. In the novel, Gatsby tries to win her over while her husband, Tom, tries to turn her away from him, in order to have her for himself. Despite the fact that they are both wealthy and well settled, Daisy chooses to be with Tom over her long lost love because she and he are better suited for each other, Gatsby’s expectations of her are too high, and she wants to maintain her social status.…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Thesis Statement
    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Great Gatsby Thesis Statement

    Even with immense wealth, Gatsby’s life is haunted by a lack of meaningful relationships along with a distorted view of Daisy and the rest of the world; these weaknesses make him a fragmented character, acting as an example of the disillusionment of many people aiming for the American Dream…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Daisy Buchanan A Static Character Essay
    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Daisy Buchanan A Static Character Essay

    The Great Gatsby is a renowned American novel that creates a lasting, enduring impact on those who read it. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of this novel, captured the very essence of American society during the roaring twenties within this novel. He was able to reveal the corruptness of the rich and show the stark differences between the upper and lower classes of society. The novel represented the major theme about the American Dream that is achieved through hard work in order to obtain a lavish lifestyle. In this novel of material excess and extravagance, Daisy Buchanan is a static character whose traits are shown through indirect characterization.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More