The Great Gatsby: Structure

The Narrative Structure:

‘The Great Gatsby’ is framed as a retrospective narrative, with Nick Carraway as the first-person narrator recounting events that happened in his past.
Fitzgerald uses a non-linear narrative structure, which plays a crucial role in how the story unfolds. Important events are conveyed through flashbacks and retold stories.
This retrospective structure allows Fitzgerald to create dramatic irony, as the reader becomes aware of Gatsby’s fate before the character himself does.

Gatsby’s Delayed Introduction:

A significant feature of the novel’s structure is the delayed introduction of Gatsby. Without appearing directly, he is built up in the reader’s mind by various comments and speculations, contributing to his mythic status.
Before meeting Gatsby, the reader experiences a variety of second-hand accounts and impressions of him, which adds layers to his character.

Daisy and Tom’s Early Introduction:

In contrast to Gatsby, Daisy and Tom are introduced early in the novel, establishing them as central figures in the narrative and providing a counterpoint to Gatsby’s later introduction.
Their early introduction alongside their opulent surroundings allows Fitzgerald to set up the themes of wealth, social class, and corruption.

Significance of The Chronological Order:

Despite the non-linear narrative, the chronological order of the key events in the novel helps to build the tension and lead towards Gatsby’s downfall.
The repetition of certain events and motifs, such as Gatsby’s parties, adds a rhythmic structure to the narrative, and serves to highlight the cyclical nature of Gatsby’s desire and the futile, repetitive ritual of his pursuit for Daisy.

Importance of the Novel’s Spatial Structure:

The geography of the novel — the contrast between West Egg and East Egg, and the valley of ashes — shapes the narrative and reflects the novel’s thematic exploration of wealth, deception, and moral decay.
The movement between these three locations has symbolic significance and affects the development of the story’s structure.

Ending of the Novel:

The novel’s conclusion sees Nick return to the Midwest, symbolically rejecting the wealth and corruption of the East.
The final pages of the novel are steeped in metaphor and symbolism. The image of Gatsby’s green light, the recurring symbol for his aspirations and unfulfilled dreams, is famously evoked as an image for the eternal human yearning.

Symbolic Use of Seasons:

The symbolic use of seasons, specifically summer, adds to the novel’s structure. The swelling heat of the summer months correlates to the rising tension and subsequent tragic climax of the novel.

Remember, understanding the structure of a novel aids in understanding its narrative flow, themes and the writer’s intent. This is fundamental to any literary analysis. ‘The Great Gatsby’s structure, though seemingly straightforward, is complex with its steeped symbolism and character introductions which significantly add depth to the story that Fitzgerald aims to tell.