How does Fitzgerald use details of setting and imagery to establish a mood in chapter 5?
May 2, 2022•202 words
In chapter 5, Fitzgerald uses details of setting and imagery in order to establish an awed and amazed mood. This displays Nick's amazed perspective which is completely contradictory to the mood created in chapter 2 in the valley of ashes. For example, Fitzgerald describes Gatsby's mansion with words such as "enchanted murmurs", "sparking odour", "vivid", and "astounding presence". These words connote amazement and wonder which in turn makes the reader feel as in awe as Nick. Similarly, when describing Gatsby's shirts, Fitzgerald writes "while we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher". Through adjectives that display amazement such as "rich", Fitzgerald descriptively creates an image depicting the sense of awe that Nick is experiencing. Throughout the passage, Fitzgerald also focuses on the various colours found in the mansion. For example, "rose and lavender silk", "pure dull gold", and "plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of indian blue". These colours symbolise luxury, success, wealth, and high status. Therefore, they emphasise the theme of astonishment. Collectively, all of these details from the setting create an amazed mood which corresponds with Nick's admiration. This mood contrasts with the incredibly gloomy mood created in chapter 2.