great gatsby ch.2

Alliteration

the repetition of the same letter sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

Example: “slithering snakes”

Pay attention to how the repeated sound sounds aloud. As a starting point: soft/sibilant sounds (s, sh) can create a smooth, secretive, sinister, or soothing effect; hard sounds (k, t, d) can sound harsh, abrupt, forceful, or aggressive; and flowing sounds (l, m, w) can sound softer, calmer, or more lyrical. Then connect that sound to what is being described and the mood, characterization, or idea the author is emphasizing. Context determines the final effect.

Color Symbolism

the use of color to represent deeper ideas, emotions, character traits, or themes

Example: White clothing might suggest innocence, purity, wealth, or cleanliness.

Start with the color’s common associations, then look at what the color describes and what is happening in the scene. Ask: What might this color suggest about this person, object, or setting? Remember that a color can have more than one meaning, and its meaning may change or become more complicated throughout the text

Anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences

“We will fight… We will work… We will endure…”

This authorial choice often creates emphasis, rhythm, accumulation, or emotional intensity. Pay attention to which ideas the repeated structure connects and how the meaning develops, even as the opening words remain the same

Juxtaposition

the placement of two contrasting characters, images, settings, ideas, or situations near one another in order to emphasize their differences

Example: A description of an extravagant mansion immediately followed by a description of extreme poverty

Identify both sides of the contrast and, more importantly, explain why the author places them together. This authorial choice can reveal contradictions, inequalities, competing values, or differences between appearance and reality

Direct Address

Definition

a technique in which a speaker or narrator directly addresses a person or audience, often through second-person pronouns such as "you"

Example: “You may think this could never happen to you.”

Consider who is being addressed and why. Direct address can reduce the distance between speaker and audience, create intimacy, confront or implicate the audience, establish authority, or pressure the audience to reconsider an idea.