Blog #2: diction
· When Scott Fitzgerald describes the valley of ashes, he uses bleak diction to give the effect of hopelessness and pessimistic sense. The valley of ashes is where Tom’s mistress lives; it is also the “middle ground” of the story, which is a poor and desolate area. Words such as “bleak” and “despair” are used to further this effect.
· Throughout the book, the author uses low diction when the characters are talking and high diction in his descriptions of the scenery. The characters speak in unsophisticated diction even though they claim to be high cultured and knowledgeable. For instance, they use incorrect grammar such as “works pretty slow, don’t he?”(25). High description of the scenery allows for greater detachment between the characters and their surroundings. They seem to be in almost a dreamlike state of mind.
I think the example you used of the diction used to describe the valley of ashes was really good insight into how word choice influences the tone of an excerpt. I agree with what you said about the valley being “the middle ground,” since this location in the novel is where major turning points occur, such as Nick being introduced to Tom’s mistress and the car accident at the end of the story. His use of diction with negative connotation, as you pointed out with “bleak” and “despair,” allows for the creation of a morbid tone, in addition to the imagery that he uses to portray this place as barren and in the process of slowly degenerating. I also really like your observation about the characters’ dialogues since they really do seem to be detached from their surroundings and in their own little world of misconceptions. Fitzgerald demonstrated this idea in a very subtle way and it was really observant to notice how the peculiarities in their words related back to the seemingly dignified, yet haughty tone they have.
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