Sarah Schmitt
Miss Stress
AP Language and Composition
8 January 2012
The Great Diction
Through the narration of Nick Carraway, F. Scott Fitzgerald employs diction to subtly exemplify the careless and phony culture of the 1920’s elite—specifically his cousin Daisy’s husband Tom Buchanan. At first, Nick’s diction demonstrates an awed and intimidated tone, however, as he begins to discern the selfish and superficial ways of the wealthy during the “Roaring ‘20’s,” his attitude toward the privileged reveals his repulsion to their shallow society. In his first time seeing Tom since their “New Haven years” Nick is intimidated by Tom Buchanan’s “supercilious manner,” yet he remains impressed as he depicts Buchanan, “Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swanks of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body—he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat”(Fitzgerald 7). By using diction such as “glistening…until he strained,” “a great pack of muscle,” “effeminate swank,” and “shining arrogant eyes,” Nick is initially astonished by Tom’s overwhelming outward appearance; Nick sees the blatant arrogance behind Tom’s eyes, yet he still perceives them as “shining.” In the end of the novel, Nick encounters Tom after Myrtle’s traumatizing death, and apathetically describes his head as, “moving sharply here and there, adapting itself to his restless eyes”(Fitzgerald 178). Although he had once described Tom’s eyes as “shining,” Nick now perceives them as “restless”— he had once seen them as beaming and full of life, now they are empty and agitated, consumed by a life that Nick can no longer recognize as desirable. While Nick had once felt as though Tom was above him, he “ felt suddenly as though [he] were talking to a child”(179). In the end, Nick can clearly see who Tom and Daisy are—“ 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…”(179).
You found and employed some very strong diction! The identification of a volta in Nick's tone towards Tom is really good, due to the fact that you have quotes supporting both sides. Fitzgerald is unique in his writing style in that he employs every method of writing to distinguish himself from other writers. He uses rhetorical strategies, diction, and syntax to constantly draw connections between his characters, the current events, and other outside facts. It is shown in his detailed word choice as he describes the changes that come over Tom from the beginning to the end of the story.
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