Diction (Tone)

• Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald’s thoughts and ideas of tone is conveyed through the narration and word choice of Nick Carraway. Nick Carraway is an “honest” man who recounts the story of the Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald 59). By always abiding to what his father said, “Remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1), Nick is given credibility for his passionate, yet poignant truthfulness. Fitzgerald frames Nick Carraway through a convincing and realistic tone, as seen through Nick’s opinions and decisions.
• Fitzgerald states Nick’s opinions of Daisy and Tom on page 154 when Nick tells Gatsby, “They’re a rotten crowd…You’re worth the whole damn bunch together” (Fitzgerald 154). He also recounts them as “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…” (Fitzgerald 179). Through these two passages Fitzgerald shows that Nick Carraway has paralleled opinions on Gatsby, Tom and Daisy. By describing Tom and Daisy as a “rotten crowd”, the tone of hopelessness is shown, withering their humanity. Tom and Daisy seem to be “careless people” who only care about themselves; nevertheless, retreating back to what they only have, which is “money”. A condescending tone can also be perceived through Tom and Daisy’s actions, because they always “let other people clean up the mess they made”. Whereas in Gatsby, Nick appreciates his determined personality unlike Tom and Daisy’s. Nick’s true insight of Gatsby is seen when he states that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch together”, admitting that Gatsby to him is nothing like them. This confirms a complimentary tone of Gatsby whereas the other characters are just laconic and obnoxious.