Structure & Narrative Voice

Narrative Voice

The novel is told from the first person point of view of Nick Carraway. The novel begins after all of the events have happened.

All-seeing narrator

Nick Carraway is looking back on the incidents that happened in Long Island and New York.
The ‘I’ persona is indicative of Modernist writing where an all-seeing, God-like narrator is deemed to be less realistic.
Nick’s recollection only pauses at one point where the report of Michaelis intrudes.

Tone

The general tone of Nick’s narration is of him being an innocent outsider.
As the novel progresses, we learn more about his background.

Structure

The overall structure of the novel may be described as ‘Quixotic’. Quixotic means ‘extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable’.

Quixotic journey

All of the terms (‘extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable’) seem to suit Gatsby’s pursuit of love, as well as the tragedy of it.
We see a quixotic journey, where the romantic protagonist moves to an understanding that his love is impractical.

Three parts

The nine chapters of the novel neatly divide the book into three parts – each consisting of three chapters.
This, in many ways, is a standard dramatic tragedy format.
The novel may also be divided into the model of an Old World (Gatsby before ‘new money’), a Green World (a world of confusion and the pursuit of love, culminating in tragedy) and a New World (the aftermath of the death and the rebuilding lives in the West of the USA rather than in East).

1Specification Overview

1.1Specification Overview

1.1.1Specification A

2Context

2.1Context

2.1.1F. Scott Fitzgerald

2.1.21920s America

2.1.3Tragedy

2.2Criticism & Approaches

2.2.1Early & Modern Criticism

2.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Context

3Plot Summary

3.1Chapter One

3.1.1Chapter One

3.1.2Analysis of Chapter One

3.1.3Chapter One: Love & Historical Context

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Chapter One

3.2Chapter Two

3.2.1Chapter Two

3.2.2Chapter Two: Love & Historical Context

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Chapter Two

3.3Chapter Three

3.3.1Chapter Three

3.3.2Analysis of Chapter Three

3.3.3Chapter Three: Love & Historical Context

3.3.4End of Topic Test - Chapter Three

3.4Chapter Four

3.4.1Chapter Four

3.4.2Chapter Four: Love & Historical Context

3.4.3End of Topic Test - Chapter Four

3.5Chapter Five

3.5.1Chapter Five

3.5.2Chapter Five: Love & Historical Context

3.6Chapter Six

3.6.1Chapter Six

3.6.2Chapter Six: Love & Historical Context

3.6.3End of Topic Test - Chapters Five & Six

3.7Chapter Seven

3.7.1Chapter Seven

3.7.2Analysis of Chapter Seven

3.7.3Chapter Seven: Love & Historical Context

3.7.4End of Topic Test - Chapter Seven

3.8Chapter Eight

3.8.1Chapter Eight

3.8.2Chapter Eight: Love & Historical Context

3.9Chapter Nine

3.9.1Chapter Nine

3.9.2Chapter Nine: Love & Historical Context

3.9.3End of Topic Test - Chapters Eight & Nine

4Character Profiles

4.1Nick Carraway

4.1.1Nick Carraway

4.1.2Nick Carraway 2

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Nick

4.2Jay Gatsby

4.2.1Jay Gatsby

4.2.2Jay Gatsby 2

4.2.3End of Topic Test - Gatsby

4.3Daisy Buchanan

4.3.1Daisy Buchanan

4.3.2Daisy Buchanan 2

4.4Tom Buchanan

4.4.1Tom Buchanan

4.4.2Tom Buchanan 2

4.4.3End of Topic Test - Daisy & Tom

4.5Minor Characters

4.5.1Minor Characters

4.5.2End of Topic Test - Minor Characters

5Key Ideas

5.1Key Ideas

5.1.1Love

5.1.2Class

5.1.3Idealism

5.1.4Patriarchy & Presentation of Women

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Ideas

6Writing Techniques

6.1Structure, Genre & Narrative Voice

6.1.1Structure & Narrative Voice

6.1.2Genre

6.2Form & Language

6.2.1Form & Language

6.2.2Symbolism

6.2.3End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

7Love Through the Ages - Thematic Analysis

7.1Love Through the Ages

7.1.1The Examination

7.1.2Love Through the Ages Reading

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