kholle: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

« F.

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, during the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic prosperity and social change in the United States.

In his work, Fitzgerald explores the themes of love, money, the American dream and the insatiable quest for happiness.

Told from the point of view of Nick Carraway, a young middle-class man, the story plunges us into the fascinating and troubled world of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and charismatic man obsessed with his childhood sweetheart, Daisy Buchanan. In the midst of this debauchery of luxury and alcohol, Gatsby lends himself to a milieu that is not his own, in which he attempts to dazzle Daisy Buchanan, whom he met five years earlier, before being drafted for the Great War, and whom he loves madly.

Between extravagant parties, social intrigue and personal tragedy, "The Great Gatsby" offers an acerbic critique of the society of the time, while capturing the ephemeral brilliance of the American dream. By portraying complex, ambiguous characters, Fitzgerald invites us to reflect on human nature, the illusions that guide us and the consequences of our deepest aspirations.

Considered a "character novel", Fitzgerald plunges us deep into the motivations, dreams and complex, ambiguous relationships of characters driven by love, greed, status or appearances, none of which prove lasting or stable.

The passage in question occurs in Chapter 8, when Gatsby confides in Nick about Daisy, the woman he loves. We are then plunged into a moment of nostalgia and remorse about the past, like a farewell, anticipating the tragic end that lies ahead for the character.

All this leads us to ask how this final scene of intimate confession between the two characters traces the memory of an idealized love through a fantasized regret. First, we'll look at the impossible love that haunts him.

Then, the omnipresence of Daisy in his environment, anchored and symbolic.

Finally, a greedy man blinded by lust and extravagance, losing his true identity. I- In this passage, Gatsby confides in his friend about his past through Daisy. Indeed, everything brings him back to her.

He begins by talking about his mysterious life, "the strange story", which would have enabled him to make a fortune in order to attract the attention of the woman he loves. Through her story, Tom, Daisy's husband, appears, forming a veritable love triangle.

Moreover, "The long secret extravagant was played" indicates the nature of the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy.

We might think of adultery through this couple's refusal to fully commit to their love.

They hide, and remain discreet.

Once again, Gatsby remains mysterious and vague about his life. « He would have acknowledged anything now » Gatsby will say anything and cut short any conversation that isn't about the woman he loves.

This creates an atmosphere of speed, as if he didn't have time to talk about anything else, and wanted to get to the point: Daisy. « But he wanted to talk about daisy » This confirms that she's all he thinks about and that she'll be the subject of all the conversation, emphasizing the emotions of the memory. « She was the first « nice » girl ye had never know ».

We're in a story about a memory.

Daisy was his first and best experience.

Through the understatement "nice" he expresses his affection.

In reality, he doesn't want to say too much, he remains mysterious, but we know he's in love with her. « He had come ….

Indiscernible barbed wire between » None of the interactions and contacts he had with other women were comparable to Daisy's. He uses the hyperbole « Indiscernible barbed wire between », which shows how distant he was, like an impassable boundary between himself and the person in front of him.

It reinforces his mysterious side and the fact that it's hard to figure him out and understand him. He is gradually betrayed by his emotions through the hyperbole « he found her excitingly desirable » All this creation of desire and passion around Daisy will drive him to her home, leaving a trace and a deep memory of these feelings throughout the premises. II- We're now moving into a focus on environment and atmosphere, through the use of symbolism, which uses symbols, objects, events or characters to represent deep-seated ideas or themes.

Here, we find a deep sense of remembrance, regret, nostalgia and lost love. « He went to her house….

Then alone » An atmosphere of closeness and intimacy is established between Gatsby and Daisy through the gradation "with the officers, then alone".

This also gives us a clue to the nature of their relationship, « He had never been in such a beautiful house before » We have his old.... »