Scenes Setting the Mood Moods of a book are very important in describing the tone of the scene, as well as the atmosphere around the scene. It is very easy to pick up on these hints because usually the scene is very clear and very understanding to the reader. In the book The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, becomes a master of telling what the mood of the scene is by description.
The first description that comes to mind is the highly described parties that Gatsby had. In those descriptions the mood was very clearly stated as being moderately calm to chaotic nearer to the end. In these scenes Fitzgerald gave hints of the mood like, … men and women came and went like moths… (Ch. 3; 43), …
floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside… (pg 44. ), and they were, at least, agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity… (pg.
46).
Most of these descriptions deal with the totally chaotic environment around the scene. If it werent so descriptive one may think of the birthday parties or reunion parties they are used to. Now that is why I believe that Fitzgerald put these descriptions in. In another instance Fitzgerald uses description to describe the mood of peoples reactions of Gatsby. several years, he said in a gratified way (pg.
76), I made the pleasure of meeting his acquaintance just after the war (pg. 760, and he would never so much as to look at a friends wife (pg. 77).
These three descriptions lets us (the readers) know what kind of image that Gatsby gives off to other people. I think that us knowing what kind of an image Gatsby presents to other people is important information. Its important because a story needs for the readers to get involved in the book.
The Essay on Great Gatsby Fitzgerald Reader Past
Gatsby meets a woman and falls in love with her. However, Gatsby does not have the fame and fortune a classy lady like Daisy desires. Gatsby decides to devote his whole life to achieving the material goods with which to satisfy Daisy. He lives in the past on a moment of absolute happiness hoping he can relive that state of emotion sometime in the future. F. Scott Fitzgerald published the book in ...
Myrtles death was a description of a scene to set the mood. Fitzgerald doesnt just end the scene with her death, like I thought he would but instead he ends the scene with the major effects and reactions to the death, which was a good strategy on his behalf. Some of these mood setting descriptions were; he reached on his tiptoes and peered over a circle of heads into the garage which was lit only by a yellow light… (pg. 144), Myrtle Wilsons body wrapped in a blanket and then in another blanket as though she had suffered from a chill in the hot night lay on a work table… (pg.
146), Tom drove slowly until we were beyond the bend… (Pg. 148).
These three very dramatic descriptions of Myrtles death tell the reader that it was a sad, sad event and it also gives us clues that Gatsby is the one that ran her over. This is an effective way to keep the reader on their toes and also to keep them thinking. Gatsby death was another section were Fitzgerald used description of the scene to set the mood…
the car wasnt to be taken out under any circumstances-and this was strange… (pg. 169), … if that was true he had felt that he had lost the whole warm world…
(pg. 169), finally A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams of air… (pg. 169).
These descriptions are trying to prepare us for this big tragedy. They are also setting the mood that nothing was going on and everything was dead and worry less.
In conclusion this topic of setting the mood is quite clear in the way it presents itself. I feel Fitzgerald is a master in doing this describing very well in everything he writes.
