Blog Project #3 Syntax

Antithesis- “Their interest rather touched me… I was confused and rather disgusted” (Fitzgerald                          20). “He might have despised himself, for he had taken her under false pretenses… But                                           he didn't despise himself” (Fitzgerald 149).                                                                                                  These examples of antitheses used by the author help to further show the contradicting attitude of the narrator Carraway. Throughout the story, he uses these antitheses to show that he has mixed feelings about the society of the East and that the east is full of people who are immoral with denigrating values. The first quote shows that he is unsure how to take the interest of the Buchanans who although seem to be interested in his love life back west actually seem to be scheming to get him together with their friend Daisy. This at first touches him that they would actually care about his life back east, but eventually disgusts him. The second antithesis shows that the morals of Jay Gatsby have become so corroded in the East that he would no longer feel immoral to take a married woman under the guise that he is actually someone of wealth of importance. This disturbs the author, not only because Gatsby is lying about who he really is, but also because feels no regret for taking a woman who is already married, further showing the corruption of the Eastern society.           Repetition- “Her laughter, he gestures, her assertions became more violently affected by moment by moment, and as she expanded the room grew smaller and smaller…” (Fitzgerald 31).                                              The repetition used by Fitzgerald allows him to grab the attention of the reader and truly permit him to show that the East is changing the character of Mrs. Wilson, who came from the Valley of Ashes as a woman who showed “intense vitality,” but can now be seen to have changed into an “impressive hauteur.”