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湖北师范学院文理学院外语系学士学位论文（设计）

deeper meaning of it. Many people take attention to the name of the people who attend Gatsby’s bequest. Let’s talk about it.

Fitzgerald use many irony in the name of guests that joined Gatsby’s bouquet, let’s analyze it. Nick describes the sense people on Gatsby’s party, these are their name.

The Leeches: Leech means bloodsucker, they suck people’s blood and make people weakness, The Leeches attend Gatsby’s party but they insult and denigrate Gatsby’s character, but they also enjoy Gatsby’s entertainment on the party, they have some similarity with bloodsucker. The caricature in this behaved completely. There are some names like this as follows: Hornbeam, Palmetto, Chromes, Bull, Roebuck, Hammerhead, Whitebait. And it recorded in an old train timetable, which printed above: “This schedule in effect July 5th, 1922,” （F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：159-160）July 5th is next day of the United States’ independent day, it is also the birthday of American democratic，the irony here is strongest in the whole novel, it is cruel mockery to American democratic.（陈希，2009，1）

2.5 Hyperbole

It refers to the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or create a strong impression, but it not meant to be taken literally. It is like the opposite of “understatement”.

\personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.\(F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：4) Fitzgerald use hyperbole to describe a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life as intricate machines. We can now from this that Gatsby’s strong hoping to regain Daisy’s love and to live with her again, his hoping likes intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. This makes our feeling stronger how Gatsby love Daisy and how miserable Gatsby after he died.

“Your place looks like the world’s fair,” (F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：87) we can know from it how prosperous the house Gatsby bought, Gatsby bought this house in order to attract Daisy, but he doesn’t know clearly what kind woman Daisy is, and he even think Daisy is pure and she is the goddess in his mind, he think that Daisy leaves him for he was poor, he

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湖北师范学院文理学院外语系学士学位论文（设计）

think he can regain her love through money, he doesn’t think Daisy can live with him for money, she will also leave him for money, this is what lead to his tragic.

“Nobody’s coming to tea. It’s too late!” (F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：91) this is clearly a hyperbole because it is only two minutes until Daisy was expected to come over. This hyperbole creates a feeling of suspense and anxiety because the reader can know Gatsby’s eagerness for his waiting of the arriving of Daisy to achieve his dream. We can know this feeling from the hyperbole.

2.6 Euphemism

A euphemism refers to a way of saying something in better, less offensive or blunt terms. It always suggests something under the literal meaning.

Editor Nick uses euphemism quite a bit in the story because he’s had a genteel upbringing. He tells us he his having “advantages” growing up. This is a statement of euphemism for his growing up in a rich family. And Nick says he lives on the “less fashionable” of the two landforms known as East Egg and West Egg. He is euphemistic because he says he lives on the side of the bay that is where the people where people own less money than those live in East Egg. He doesn’t say he lives in the place where people who are poor live on. Fitzgerald uses euphemism because it gives more a feeling of sophistication and privileged background that Nick has.

“Good night,” called Miss Baker from the stairs, “I haven’t heard a word.” (F.Scott

Fitzgerald, 1925:22). Miss Baker says she doesn’t hear a word, is it true? In fact, she has heard all they say and she is very interested in it and wants to know more, this is what under the words, and this lead to her dating with Nick. Knowing the meaning under the words is very important, many people often say something under their word for many reason, it is very necessary for us to understand it in order to have a good communication with the speaker.

“He informed me that he was in the “artistic game”, and I gathered later that he was a photographer and had made the dim enlargement of Mrs. Wilson’s mother which hovered like an ectoplasm on the wall.( F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：33-34). Mr. McKee says he is an artist instead of a photographer, we know from this he does this for showing off himself. He wants to behave as he is an exalted and elegant man. Fitzgerald uses euphemism to let’s know his

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湖北师范学院文理学院外语系学士学位论文（设计）

irony to Mr. McKee.

2.7 Understatement

It refers to a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said. It is often seen understatement in English articles. There is something different between euphemism and understatement, from the explanation we can know it. There are some examples of the use of understatement.

“Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay, …”.( F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：7). Fitzgerald doesn’t use little or small to depict the bay, he uses courtesy, and it form contrast between enormous and courtesy, let’s know the little of the bay stronger, the use of understatement to depict the bay let us know that even though the bay is little, but the life between them are distinctively difference and the status of the people in society is also difference.

“I can’t complain,” answered Wilson unconvincingly”. (F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：7). We can know Wilson is perfunctory to answer Tom, he doesn’t live happily, he can’t live a happy life because his poor in material. This is also an understatement, we can know from his talking he doesn’t live well, this is what lead to his wife betray him and frequently date with Tom, although Tom looks her as toy.

2.8 Pun

The pun refers to the humorous use of a word, or of words which are formed or sounded alike but have different meanings, in such a way as to play on two or more of the possible application; a play on words.（李鑫华，2000：189）

In the sentence: “ it happens one autumn night, five years ago﹍then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete” (F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：118). This statement use pun tells us Gatsby’s flesh touching with Daisy and his feeling of own Daisy whole. It tells us Gatsby wants to own Daisy not only in body but also in spirits. As he touches her, he feels that his own her, it likes a beautiful dream.

“That dog? That dog’s a boy.”

“It’s a bitch,’’ said Tom decisively. “Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it.”? (F. Scott Fitzgerald，1925：31). We can know from the novel the dog is a boy, and why

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