Extravagant

"The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard--it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden" pg 9. Throughout the first half of the book, the author constantly adds numerous amounts of imagery to portray an element of the central theme. The theme centers around losing the American dream and Gatsby's house is a symbol for just that. From the description above, a reader can mentally picture what Gatsby's mansion looks like. He worked for three years to by that, another element of the American dream. All of Gatsby's, Daisy and Tom's, and the other upper class's possessions, all shown through extensive imagery, provide examples for the theme. Imagery also plays a large role when Gatsby shows Daisy the inside of his house after tea with Nick. It almost seems like he is showing off for her, proving that he is just as rich as her husband.

That time of year

In each of the three quatrains, there are three major images introduced. In the first, the speaker is referring to the end of fall "when yellow leaves" turn colors from green and fall to the ground. The beauty of fall eventually comes to an end, just like almost everything in life. The image in the second quatrain is one of twilight and then night. "After sunset fadeth in the west," night comes and ends the day. Once again, the speaker is emphasizing that almost everything in this world will end. The last quatrain was a little hard for me to figure out. I think the image is one of a funeral or someone dead. These lines, along with the others reinforce the ending of something. The couplet at the end of the poem, though, contradicts the rest of the lines. The speaker says that although almost everything ends, these things will only make the love between him and his lover stronger.

Bull Fight

Sometimes, I don't get where Hemmingway's inspiration for his topics comes from. Chapter 18 was all about the last day of the festival and Romero's bull fight. His descriptions were quit detailed about killing the bulls. Hemmingway also used short sentences. At times, I was confused at the point of spending a whole chapter on bull fights.

I was surprised at the fact that Brett took off with Romero. I fell sorry for Mike because he couldn't keep a hold on the woman he was supposed to marry. He had to drink his sorrows away and changed into a person who was rowdy and obnoxious. Maybe it is a good thing that Brett is gone so the whole love thing does not get in the way anymore.

Similes and Metaphors

In chapter 16, the author used a few different similes and metaphors. I thought this variety of literary devices added positively to the novel. Instead of using regular comparisons, Hemmingway spiced up his writing by using the metaphors and similes.

On page 157, the author wrote "the cafe was like a battleship stripped for action." He used a simile to compare the cafe to a battleship instead of just saying "the cafe was really busy." Hemmingway also compared a firecracker to a bomb. He wrote "the ball of smoke hing in the sky like a shrapnel burst..." This comparison makes the writing more interesting. It also provides imagery because a reader can picture the burst of light in the sky.

Along with similes, the author also used metaphors. For example, Hemmingway compared "a guard of soldiers" (pg 159) to giants. He was able to compare two different things with out the use of like or as. The variety in his writing keeps the readers interested and enthralled in the novel.

Imagery

The imagery in chapter 9 really add detail to the trip Jake and Bill Gordon are taking to Spain. Jake describes what they see, what the waiter is like, and how they feel about the group of Pilgrims taking up the dining cars. It seems that the landscapes they see out their window is very beautiful. For example, Jake discribes the country as "sandy pine country filled with heather" (pg 94). The author didn't specify if they were still in France or Spain but I am willing to bet that they are in France because of the town names, like Bordeaux. I am interested to see what will happen in Spain with Brett, Robert, Mike, and Jake there together. Robert is still in love with Brett and so is Jake. This should end up being an interesting trip.