Author's Style

In his classic novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald implements the use of motifs and symbolism to develop the story line and strengthen his style of writing.

A correlation between weather and emotional tone of the story is a reoccurring motif throughout the novel. The day of Gatsby and Daisy's reunion is rainy, representative of the awkward and disappointing moment which did not live up to expectations. But once their love is rekindled, the sun begins to shine. Fitzgerald writes, "But there was a change in Gatsby that was simply confounding. He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room [...] 'Its stopped raining.' [...] When he realized what I was talking about, that there were twinkle-bells of sunshine in the room, he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurrent light[...]" (89). The sunshine represents their rediscovered love, bringing Gatsby out of his five years of gloom. On the day that was "broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest, of the summer," (Fitzgerald 114), Gatsby and Tom erupt into a climatic confrontation over their relationships with Daisy. Finally, on the day of Gatsby's funeral, Fitzgerald narrates, "About five o'clock our procession of three cars reached the cemetery and stopped in a thick drizzle beside the gate--first a motor hearse, horribly black and wet, then Mr. Gatz and the minister and I in the limousine, and a little later four or five servants and the postman from West Egg, in Gatsby's station wagon, all wet to the skin. [...] I heard a car stop and then the sound of some one splashing after us over the soggy ground. [...] Dimly I heard some one murmur 'Blessed are the dead that the rain falls on,'" (174-175). The dark, rainy weather of the funeral sets the depressed, somber mood of the event. The rain is representative of Gatsby's mortal death, but also the death of his ultimate dream.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald also applies the use of symbolism heavily to add depth to what may have originally been a shallow story line, and connect it to the overlying themes. One strong use of symbolism was the comparison between Daisy's voice and wealth, glamour, and social status. When he first meets with his cousin, Nick claimed,"It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered "Listen," a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour" (9). Daisy's voice is melodic and captivating. It pulls the listener in and makes them want to hear everything she has to say. Later during a lunch party, Nick narrates, "'She's got an indiscreet voice,' I remarked. 'It's full of--' I hesitated. 'Her voice is full of money,' [Gatsby] said suddenly. That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money--that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song if it... High in a white palace the kind's daughter, the golden girl..." (Fitzgerald 120). Daisy's voice is symbolic of the wealth and prestige that is so important to the people of the East Egg, and the very desire of Gatsby.