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What is an example of antithesis in The Great Gatsby?
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An example of antithesis in The Great Gatsby is the contrast between West Egg and East Egg, and between New York City and the valley of ashes. West Egg, full of "new money," opposes the "old money" opulence of East Egg. Similarly, the lively, indulgent New York City contrasts sharply with the grim, desolate valley of ashes, highlighting the stark differences between opulence and poverty.
West Egg seems to serve, in many ways, as the antithesis of East Egg, and New York City serves as the antithesis of the valley of ashes. West Egg is the "less fashionable" of the two Eggs (full of "new moneyed" folks who have earned, not inherited, their money), especially compared to the "white palaces" of the old moneyed folks, who have inherited their fortunes, on East Egg. East Egg residents look down on the residents of West Egg as vulgar and base while the West Egg residents do not seem to understand that their ostentatious behavior renders them completely obvious and ridiculous to others. The contrast between the two Eggs makes their differences seem all the more stark.
New York City seems to be the party place, where the rich go to play. This is where Tom keeps an apartment for his mistress, Myrtle; it's where they go to...
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have sex, get drunk, and have parties. This is also where the Buchanans,Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby go because it's "so hot" in East Egg. They rent a room at an expensive hotel so that they can drink illegal mint juleps and fight each other. Meanwhile, people fight for their lives and their dignity in the valley of ashes, where folks like George Wilson work their entire lives only to be spat upon by the whole of society and perhaps even their own wives. Again, the contrast throws each place — its excess or its desperation — into greater relief.
Antithesis is the putting together of opposites. One example would be the Valley of the Ashes, which is the antithesis of the luxurious home where Tom and Daisy live.
The Valley of the Ashes is grim, gray place, "a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens." It is overlooked by a giant billboard showing the faded eyes and yellow glasses of eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. In this valley, in a faded row of shops, George Wilson has his gas station and repair shop.
Tom and Daisy, in contrast, live in large red brick colonial house that overlooks the water. It has a private beach and a quarter-mile of lawn that runs up from the beach, with sundials and gardens, before reaching " a line of French windows." Tom and Daisy have servants, spacious rooms, and a luxurious lifestyle.
Although this appears to be a novel about the rich, Fitzgerald weaves in reminders of the poor throughout, reflecting a real 1920s world of rich and poor.
Antithesis can be defined as the positioning of two opposite people or events or things. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses antithesis to enhance the differences between characters, events, and even settings for literary value.
Several examples of antithesis are observable at Gatsby's party. At one point at two in the morning, Nick finds himself alone, just outside "[t]he large room...full of people." This example of antithesis emphasizes Nick's literal isolation at the party, which symbolizes the difference between his plain Midwestern values and Gatsby's extravagant New York attitude.
Also at this point at the party, which is meant to be a fun and hedonistic experience, Nick notes that "most of the remaining women were having fights with men said to be their husbands." This set of opposites represents the facade the party-goers don as they participate in the pleasure earlier in the evening. Once the pleasure wears off, the true conflict between characters surfaces, and the antithesis here emphasizes the real nature of these relationships.
And finally, the car accident contrasts at the party in Chapter 3 contrasts violently with the atmosphere in the garden, and the "pale dangling individual" who "stepped out of the wreck" is antithetical to the bright beauty of the attendees in all of their finery. The imagery of this scene is powerful, and the reader feels a shock, much like the party-goers must have felt when confronted with the violence of the car crash.
Fitzgerald uses both antithetical characters and settings in The Great Gatsby. One clear example is the contrast between Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. While Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan and lives a life of careless wealth, Myrtle lives above a gas station and hopes that being Tom's mistress will improve her lot in life. Fitzgerald also contrasts the grey suburban "wasteland" between West Egg and New York with the colorful opulence of Gatsby's mansion.