Fitzgerald's use of Foreshadowing and Flashback
Uploaded by Admin on Nov 18, 1999
" 'Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself.' 'I hope I never will,' she [Jordan] answered. 'I hate careless people. That's why I like you.' " (Fitzgerald, pg. 63) Jordan is explaining to Nick how she is able to drive badly as long as everyone else drives carefully. This quote represents the writing technique of foreshadowing, which is being used in one of its finest form. Fitzgerald is foreshadowing to chapter seven where Daisy kills Myrtle Wilson because of her reckless driving. Fitzgerald uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot of his book. In chapter nine, Nick begins to recall the past and relive his old memories. His must relieve his lingering thoughts of the past. During the chapter, Nick uses a flashback to tell about Gatsby's funeral for the readers to know what happen the day Gatsby was shot. Flashback in The Great Gatsby also helps to give the reader background information about the characters. In The Great Gatsby, the structure of the novel is influenced by foreshadowing and flashback.
Fitzgerald utilizes foreshadowing to the best of its ability to help organize the novel. "Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place. 'I'm sorry about the clock,' he said. 'It's an old clock,' I told him idiotically." (Fitzgerald, pg. 92) This quote is the first use of foreshadowing which is in chapter five. It pertains to all of the trouble Gatsby causes as he tries to win Daisy back. The past is represented by the clock and how Gatsby wants to repeat it with Daisy. (Eble, pg. 963) This quote foreshadows to the end of the novel when Nick is left to tell the story of the dreamer whose dreams were corrupted. (Eble, pg. 963) "they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made." (Fitzgerald, pg. 188) In chapter six, Fitzgerald focuses on the first moment of disillusionment which Gatsby has. (Magill, pg. 90) " 'Can't repeat the past?' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you can!' " (Fitzgerald, pg. 116) This quote is clearly foreshadowing almost the entire book. It foreshadows Gatsby's attempts to woe Daisy for Tom and...