Diction

Fitzgerald’s cynical tone is revealed through his careful choice of words which show the uncaring and superior attitude of the upper class during the 1920’s This is particularly noticeable during the incident in which Gatsby asserts that Daisy had never truly loved her husband, Tom. Tom becomes defensive using an expletive classifying Gatsby’s assertions as “a god damned lie” (131). The further deterioration of Tom’s composure is shown later in this conversation when he reveals to Daisy that Gatsby’s fortune has been amassed as a result of illegal liquor bootlegging operations through local pharmacies. Because of the superficial nature of Daisy’s character, this causes her to be turned off from Gasby, a further example of Fitzgerald’s view that the American dream is detiorating, becoming something based solely off greed, in a society controlled by the superficial upper class. It is interesting to note the word Fitzgerald uses to describe the exit of Daisy and Gatsby, “like ghosts” (136) It could be considering a foreshadowing of the fact that Gatsby will soon be dead. It also touches on the ghost like nature of Gatsby at his famous summer parties, in which all of the guests came to enjoy the company of the alcohol, along with the other guests, yet Gatsby was rarely seen. Which is an indication of Fitzgerald’s cynical view of the life of the upper class, and even the current moral state of America its self. At the very end of the novel, Nick is reflecting on his interactions with Tom and Daisy, just before heading off back to the midwest. Nick explains that to Tom, his own actions were justified, and he was able to “Retreat back into [his] money” (180). Retreat, although in certain contexts can be very positive, connotes negatively. The word retreat is almost a symbol for the what Fitzgerald views as a retreat of moral values in American society, especially amongst the upper class.