Monday, October 12, 2009

The Great Gatsby is full of different types of imagery, one of which relates characters and scenes to the natural world. Gatsby's summer parties are held outside in gardens. Standing among lush, thriving plants, guests attend such an event in order to improve or solidify their social standing. At one such party, Nick makes a list of attendees, several referencing animals and flowers. Some names include Hornbeam, Blackbuck, Snell, Whitebait, Hammerhead, Beluga, Orchid, Catlip, and Klipspringer. Also at a party, Fitzgerald introduces a man that receives the name owl eyes. The audience finds this man in Gatsby's library, which makes sense because the owl typically symbolizes wisdom. Another character with an animal like name is Wolfshiem. It seems this man preys on the weak like a wolf would for the cuff buttons on his shirt are actual human molars. Even before Gatsby's death Fitzgerald paints a picture of the sky, leaves, a rose, grass, and trees. Also, on almost every page a reference to nature can be found. Statements like "roaring noon," "the dog days of summer," and "flipped up their noses like goats" brings readers to the outside world. And let's not forget the main character Daisy, named after a popular flower. Like a daisy, Tom's wife is fragile and needs all the support she can get, yet her beauty radiates like the sun. Even Myrtle's dog deserves consideration. Even though the animal exists for only a short period of time, the dog portrays such meaning in the power struggle Myrtle faces. On almost every page of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald makes a human-animal connection or brings to the attention of the reader other vital aspects of the novel that directly relate to natural world.

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