Syntax

• ·      Interrupted Sentence: “He was a son of God---a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that---and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty” (98).

In this example of syntax, Fitzgerald uses a large amount of interruptions, and brings in more info with each thought, which causes the reader to not fully understand what Fitzgerald is talking about until you reach the end of the sentence. It brings in a lot of details, and different thoughts of the narrator and throws it all into one sentence.

• ·      Declarative Sentence: “Don’t talk so loud” (88).

Throughout the novel, when Gatsby speaks to Nick, Fitzgerald uses long eloquent sentences to show the sophisticated nature that Gatsby is usually characterized by. However, is this short, stern sentence, Gatsby is seen being more on edge then usual. The reason for this is because Gatsby is nervous to see Daisy for the first time since the war. Fitzgerald is showing how Gatsby began to break down when he was in a nerve-racking situation.

• ·      Cumulative Sentence: “I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night, and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines give to the restless eye” (56).

In this example of a loose sentence, also known as cumulative sentence, Fitzgerald shows his forte in writing. Much of The Great Gatsby is written in long eloquent sentences, either in the form of cumulative, or interrupted. Fitzgerald does this to show that there is so much to see, perhaps a reference to the Roaring Twenties, which is the time the book takes place. There are so many thoughts and ideas that are going through the characters heads, in which they need time to explain it all to the reader of the story.