The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald's reflective and hopeless tones portray his idea that Americans continue to push against the current of life and nature, thinking they are bettering the world, but in turn hurting it by destroying its origins.

Fitzgerald uses optimistic diction to describe the old, natural world while he describes the modern times with pessimism. Before the moon brings light to the old times, the narrator sees the current world as "shadowy" and dark with "hardly any lights." As the "inessential houses" of the modern America become hidden, "a fresh, green breast" is seen, the "greatest of all human dreams." Fitzgerald is bringing to light his opinion that all of the new advances that made the 20s the "Roaring Twenties" have destroyed it rather than helped with the building up of the country. He sees the old, traditional world as a very beautiful work and shows that he cannot see this special world until the characteristics of the modern world are gone, or "melt[ed] away."

Fitzgerald wraps up his point with important syntax in the last two paragraphs of the passage. He uses ellipses and dashes which in writing serve as a break in thought or in the case of ellipses, repetition or a never ending thought. Being sucked into the idea he is disagreeing with, Fitzgerald begins describing how "we" will "run faster, stretch out our arms farther," continue doing things we are convinced will help and benefit our country. However, with his very last sentence, Fitzgerald reminds the reader that no matter how much Americans may keep doing in an attempt to help the country, they will continue to be pushed back and held in place without success, just like the boats that continue to go against the current, but make it nowhere.

By using effective diction and syntax, Fitzgerald very clearly expresses his opinion that Americans will continue trying to add to their country in an attempt to benefit and make it better, much like a sailor pushing against the current and convincing himself that he is making process because of his art work, but in the end, staying idle and in one place.