The Great Gatsby (Chapter 1)

Ashlynn McNamara

Diction

Fitzgerald uses diction to express the emotional and physical actions taken by the characters in the book. Such as illustrated in the Great Gatsby; "Daisy took her face in her hands as if feeling it's lovely shape, and her eyes moved gradually out into the velvet dusk. I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her daughter" (Nick.16). This statement describes and makes us illustrate in our head of what the scene is in the book. It makes us think of a woman covering her face while crying to keep the emotions from showing. Also that they are sitting outside at dusk when stated; "the velvet dusk", giving us an illustration of a purplish, reddish color glowing on her face as she looks up. Using the words such as: lovely and gradually gives us a feel of carefulness and safeness when it says "feeling its lovely shape..." and "her eyes moved gradually...". These gives us a sense of sadness and loneliness but at the same time elegance in her actions taken. But using the words such as: turbulent, possessed and sedative gives us a sense of terror and the sense of being scared. Such as when stated; "I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her...". This illustrates her emotions after realizing her husband had another woman in New York. The diction used is also greatly impacted on her emotions. The words used such as: lovely and gradually are related to the emotions she is showing on the outside and how she "feels". But the words such as: turbulent, possessed and sedative relate to her true feelings inside, that she is not showing. 

SOAPS:

"Daisy took her face in her hands as if feeling it's lovely shape, and her eyes moved gradually out into the velvet dusk. I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her daughter" (Nick.16).

S-ubject: the subject was Daisy crying over the fact that her husband has another woman in New York. 

O-ccassion: the occasion was Daisy and Nick sitting outside talking while Daisy is crying. They are sitting outside in the velvet dusk alone.

A-udience: the audience are to the men and women who cheat on their spouses, this shows how much it can really hurt them.

P-urpose: the purpose was to illustrate and give the details on how Daisy was truly feeling, which was torn apart and sad, and also how she was pretending to feel, which was "okay".

S-peaker: the speaker was Nick, A port white man who lived on the tip of West Egg, neighbors with Gatsby and cousins to Daisy.