Blog Topic #3: Syntax

• “They are not perfect ovals—like the egg in the Columbus story, they are both crushed flat at the contact end—but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead” (5).
  

On many occasions throughout Nick Carraway’s narrative, Fitzgerald writes in broken, interrupted fragments, which combine to create the inner-thoughts of the main character. These statements, in turn, further Nick’s analysis of the events taking place in his life and allow him to elaborate on confusing or difficult parts of the novel, like in this example. West Egg and East Egg are not literally eggs; however, they each have an oval-like shape to them which earns them their titles. The syntactical mechanisms used are definitely effective in Fitzgerald’s style of writing, as they allow the reader to better comprehend what is taking place, as well as, to see how Nick responds to external conflicts. In many situations, Nick had a lot to say within the boundaries of his mind, however, he became introverted when confronted in real life.

• “She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago” (119).

In contrast with the lengthy, descriptive sentences confining Nick’s mind, is the employment of short and telegraphic statements, which compose the majority of the text framework. These terse sentences convey the facts and the purpose evidently and do not add any extra information. In addition, this form of syntax allows the different emotions in the writing to be expressed more clearly and become more apparent to the reader. This passage is significant, in that it brings the text into full circle; Tom Buchanan finally becomes aware of the fact that he was not the only one involved in a love affair and that his wife was not the person he thought she was.