Diction

Jay Gatsby is devoted to finding Daisy, his long lost love, and recreating the love that they once had.  When he finally got to see her for the first time in years, “he literally glowed” (89).   This outward showing of his excitement at seeing Daisy is evident that on the inside he is bursting with happiness.  Fitzgerald portrays this Gatsby’s passion for Daisy in an infatuated tone, which causes the readers to understand the total amount of his adoration for Daisy.  Throughout most of the book though Gatsby will not come forward with what he exactly does for a living, however it can be inferred that it is illegal and dishonest.  During a day trip to the city Tom Buchanan tries to figure who Gatsby truly is and eventually explodes as he explains his knowledge of Daisy and Gatsby’s love, and as Gatsby replies at the end he calls Tom an “old sport” in a sarcastic and fake tone of amiability (120).  While most associate “old sport” as a friendly term, here it is used as the exact opposite.  Gatsby and Tom are extremely upset with each other because of their fight to keep Daisy for themselves, with Gatsby hoping he will win Daisy without the enragement of Tom.  Fitzgerald uses this tone in contrast to the loving tone Gatsby has with Daisy to show the many sides of Gatsby, but also to better portray just how desperately he wants to have Daisy as his own again.  He wants to feel “her warm human magic upon the air” and Fitzgerald continually expresses those desires of Gatsby through a loving tone (108).