Extract 1 – The Great Gatsby
This excerpt represents Scott Fitzgerald’s part of the Great Gatsby taken from pages 45 to 46 in chapter three. The work section is aimed at raising the idea of superficiality, the gap between reality and perception. It makes the reader start questioning the extent to which people try to recreate themselves to be what they need others to perceive them. This can be seen in the first passage beginning from “the bar, where we glanced first…to they are real, the books? He nodded.” Owl eyes say that Gatsby’s life is characterized by shows and that even his books might not be real
Another key message in this excerpt is the mutability of identity. Gatsby’s library is beautifully decorated and filled with books that no one has ever read. These represent a method Gatsby uses to craft his new identity. He crafted this library to depict himself as an oxford man. However, he does not have the inner capacity to be one.
The first instance of symbolism in the excerpt is the owl-eyed man. He is compared to the billboard of Dr. T.J Eckleburg, who has all-seeing eyes. He is a symbol of an uninvolved spectator of god. These gods watch all men’s activities without commenting or trying to correct them. They also watch all their struggles and do not try to lessen their burdens. Despite that owl-eyed man comments on the Gatsby’s real books, he does not provide Nick with any advice or critical knowledge for helping him. The other symbolism is the Gatsby’s library of uncut books. The reader perceives Gatsby and his parties to be an illusion. This illusion is also presented by the owl-eyed when he suggests that Gatsby’s life is just a show while his books can be a mere cardboard cut-out. This perception is equivalent to the Great Gatsby’s era in which people lavished themselves with goods. Although these people seemed they could afford it, contrary, in reality, they could not afford it nor spend that kind of money in acquiring it.
The first character depicted in this work is Jordan. Jordan is an alluring woman and, at the same time, mysterious. She is also a dishonest person who continually bends the truth to protect herself from the cruelty of the world. She is amongst the female flappers who distinguish themselves by dressing in short skirts and wearing heavy make-up. The second character is Owl’s eyes, which is somewhat drunk, and Nick meets him for the first time he attends Gatsby’s party at his mansion. Nicks meets owl eyes while looking at Gatsby’s library, astonished that the books are real. Owl-eye is a mysterious and minor character in the work. However, he is somewhat of importance because he will be the only one who will attend Gatsby’s funeral. Besides, he shows Nick Gatsby’s unread books at his library. Nick Carraway is the third character in this excerpt, which is a young man. He is honest and attracted to Jordan. The whole novel is narrated through his eyes while his thoughts and perceptions shape the flow of the story.