Peer Commentary Essay

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Harris Rasheed 12A (MM) Peer Assessment Commentary “She vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby - nothing” (pg 156). Explain how Fitzgerald conveys foreshadowing of Gatsby’s tragic demise using textual references. In ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the theme of love is focused primarily on that between Daisy and Gatsby. The first hint of foreshadowing that Fitzgerald utilises in particular to Gatsby’s demise is the title. “The Great Gatsby” gives us a hint that he had done great deeds in his life or something had happened to him for him to earn this name. Another foreshadowing tool that we see is when Nick returns from East Egg after dinner at Daisy’s house and sees Gatsby because “he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way” towards “a single green light”. This symbol of longing that Gatsby shows is ultimately telling us the reason for his forthcoming downfall. There is also a discussion during the small party in Tom’s apartment in New York about Gatsby. Catherine, Myrtle’s sister, says that “he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm” and claims that that is how he got his fortune. This can also indicate that Gatsby might suffer the same fate as his uncle/cousin because he might do something similarly rash. The conversation at Gatsby’s party between Jordan, Lucille and her friend contained many of the well-known rumours about Gatsby. The connection between him being a “German spy” and having “killed a man once” is a veil upon his true character and past actions. These rumours also foreshadow that he will die epically because of the vendetta he has drawn. When Gatsby takes Nick out for lunch to New York, the former tells the latter a number of things about his own life. When they pass the bridge after the Valley of Ashes Nick thinks that “Anything can happen now” “Even Gatsby could happen,
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