Abstract

In a study of Gatsby it is found that "time" is the trigger to reveal the myth of Gatsby. This paper aims to explain how time figures itself as a paradox in the greater context of the novel. Time, in its most general lexical meaning, is a continuous measurable condition from the past through the present and into the future. In Gatsby, Fitzgerald evokes a feeling of restlessness of time, which leaves the main character in a state where divisions between periods of time are so vague as if past, present and future were congealed into one condition. Concurrent with this condition, Fitzgerald treats time with the effect of simultaneous detachment and involvement. Through Fitzgerald's manipulation of time, the reader can see a mysterious connection between Gatsby, the protagonist of the story and Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story. Gatsby's story, the core of which is to bring the past into the future, has parallels to Carraway's experience. With not fewer combinations of opposing ideas and facts, the novel is distinguished with conflicts and paradoxes, which is based upon the concept of time, suggesting some intricate themes.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.