Diction

·         When Daisy speaks of her daughter to Nick and Jordan, she explains, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (7). The use of the word “fool” can be compared to the cliché “ignorance is bliss.” Daisy wants her daughter to resemble herself; a beautiful woman without a care in the world. This shows a lot about Daisy’s character. Rather than wanting her daughter to be successful and independent, she basically implies that she would rather have her daughter be a trophy wife through the use of the word “beautiful.”

·         At the end of the book as Nick explains Gatsby’s fascination with the green light across the bay from his house, he states, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (180). This quote relates to one of the major themes of the novel: past vs. present. The word “ceaselessly” demonstrates how Gatsby was obsessed with reliving his past. Throughout the book it is explained that the only reason Gatsby throws huge parties is in hopes that Daisy may show up to one of them. His whole lifestyle revolves around his dream of getting things back to the way they were before he lost Daisy. By definition, “ceaselessly” means without stopping. It exhibits Gatsby’s vigorous fight to get Daisy back and return to how things were before. Fitzgerald’s vivid diction enables the reader to fully grasp the exact ideas of the characters.