Tone in The Great Gatsby Essay

The Not-So-Great-Gatsby: How Fitzgerald portrays tone in his novel

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald goes to great lengths to portray the tone of his novel in many different aspects. However, it is the final passage in The Great Gatsby where the tone of his novel truly shows through. Whereas the overall aspect of the novel represents one mans attempt to fulfill his dream, an unattainable dream, the final passage seems to fortify Fitzgeralds feelings of hopelessness and despair. Fitzgeralds novel has a prevalent tone of hopelessness and despair; it comes across in the themes, characters, and plot of The Great Gatsby.

The themes in this novel all lean towards negativity; there are no hopeful or inspiring lessons. One of the major themes of this novel is the unattainable American dream. The author shows his tone of hopelessness when he writes about Jay Gatsbys dream to get the girl he has been striving for. The girl is close and he can see her, but no matter how close he gets, they will never be together. He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way...and distinguished nothing except a single green light. (Fitzgerald 26) Gatsbys morality is destroyed in his quest for Daisy, something that he could never have. He is a man who threw his life away for something he could never get. At the end of the novel, Nicks speech solidifies the authors feelings towards the American dream and Gatsbys life. ...his dream so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him. (171) The novel also has a strong theme regarding the hollowness of the upper class. The authors bitterness towards the upper class is seen throughout the novel; they all leave others to clean up their mess. Even Daisy, after all Gatsby had done for her, lets him take the blame, and doesnt even come his funeral. I could only remember, without resentment, that Daisy hadnt sent a message or a flower. (165)

The tone of the novel comes across in his characters as well. Besides Nick, there are no honest characters, no good hearted people. It even turns out that Gatsby was corrupt: He [Gatsby] and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. Thats one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger... (127) On the side of the upper class, there are characters like Tom and Daisy: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (170) Tom is cheating on Daisy, and has no remorse and does not care how she feels about it. He even has the nerve to say, I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife...you can count me out... (124) Daisy is portrayed to be an innocent character yet the author shows us her dishonesty when she gives her heart to whoever will give her more attention. She is more in love with herself then either man. It doesnt make a difference to her who she hurts, as long as she is happy and the center of attention. (127) Fitzgerald shows the lower class as bleak and portrays his lower class characters as pale and sick. An example of this is Myrtle, who wanted someone rich, no matter who he was. I married him because I thought he was a gentleman...I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe."(CH2) She has a second life and doesnt feel any remorse or compassion for Wilson, a man who has loved her and done his best to care for her. The tone of hopelessness is shown strongly as well with the character of Wilson, the saddest, sickest, palest and most helpless character who resides in a place described in such ways as grey. "This is a valley of ashes--a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. (CH2) Everything about this man, his life, his home and his wife are hopeless and filled with despair.

The plot of the Great Gatsby is centered around the influence of wealth, and in the end all the careless and selfish people win out. The main character, Jay Gatsby, ends up dying alone and being blamed for everything. When the author first introduces Gatsby, he is an extravagant and impressive character, a rich and successful man. However, as the novel progresses, even that strong and impressive man does not get what he had dreamed about for so long. He dies alone without the girl of his dreams, and has no friends but Nick. He is a character who seemed to have everything, but in reality had nothing substantial. Yet Tom and Daisy are not even affected. Daisy killed a person and Tom had helped Wilson kill Gatsby, yet their life continues undisturbed. They give the blame to someone else and care for nothing but themselves. Fitzgerald clearly lays out the tone of the novel with Nicks final words. It eluded us then, but thats no matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further...and one fine morning.(171) No matter how much a person may want something in life, it will always be a little further away. No matter how hard a person may try, they will never reach their goal, until finally they lose themselves.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgeralds tone is one of hopelessness and despair; he portrays this with the use of major themes, characters, and story line. All the themes of his novel turn out to be negative, especially his major theme of the unattainable American dream. Fitzgerald has created no honest characters other than Nick; even the protagonist is corrupted in the pursuit of his dream. Finally, the plot line of The Great Gatsby is centered around wealth, careless upper class people, and the idea that social status can never be changed no matter how hard one may try. "The rich get richer and the poor get - children." (92)