Gatsby the Great Gatsby: Exploration Term Paper

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Fitzgerald focuses much like a scriptwriter on her body parts to set the sensual stage. Her throat is "full if aching, grieving beauty told only of her unexpected joy" (Fitzgerald 90). There is such passion evoked through these words that it is difficult not feel ecstasy and agony at the same time and understand Gatsby obsession with her. To emphasize her superior nature, her face is described as bored and haughty. She identifies with other woman of her class such as the actress they meet who is also put on a pedestal of being "a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman" (Fitzgerald 106). The interesting function of Daisy's character is to fuel the fire of Gatsby's obsession but to also complete his journey of attaining the American Dream found within attaining social status. He creates her as he is focused on their mutual past and winning her attention so much so that she "transfigures into a creature of his imagination" (Donaldson 253). The flower imagery of her transforming by his touch only emphasizes the melodrama to come.

Tom

In contrast to Daisy, Tom is not described as the romantic leading man but more of a force to be reckoned with as conflict arises. His body is described as cruel, which Fitzgerald purposefully does to get the reader to believe Daisy belongs with Gatsby. Fitzgerald does not focus on Tom's body but more of formidable size to display confidence and arrogance, capable of enormous leverage signifying strength. Now it may not be physical strength Fitzgerald intends but more of a financial strength not because of hard work but of old money. Tom represents in his physicality "a scion of those ruthless generations who raised up the great American fortunes, and who now live in uneasy arrogant leisure" (Bloom 24). It is Fitzgerald's ability to describe Tom's body as strong that emphasizes his violent rage as the novel continues.

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He represents the evil force in the book and strikes out upon other characters such as Myrtle by "making a short deft movement, he broke her nose with his open hand" (Bloom 62). Slowly is his strength is not something that represents wealth but power for violence as the climax gets closer. It is almost as if Tom is using his class as means to allow for the violent behavior. His athletic build stresses this imagery to emphasize that rich men are not weak but can become monsters due to their status. It is only through this repeated description that the reader understands the power of his violence and the force behind his rage as the competition between him and Gatsby become more apparent.

Conclusion

This paper has explored the characters of Daisy and Tom Buchanan and how their bodies emphasize their status within American society and the world the author has created as a result of a noticeable difference between the classes in the 1920s. Much of how F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about this difference and chose to represent it as a theme in the novel is by starkly contrasting and juxtaposing the lifestyles side by side. He makes the world of the Buchanans seem unattainable yet completely desirable in their affluence. Fitzgerald created characters whose descriptions served to establish this thematic function and carry the story.

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