Scenes Setting the Mood

Moods of a book are very important in describing the tone of the scene, as well as

the atmosphere around the scene. It is very easy to pick up on these hints because usually

the scene is very clear and very understanding to the reader. In the book The Great

Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, becomes a master of telling what the mood of the scene is by

description.

The first description that comes to mind is the highly described parties that

Gatsby had. In those descriptions the mood was very clearly stated as being moderately

calm to chaotic nearer to the end. In these scenes Fitzgerald gave hints of the mood like,

'... men and women came and went like moths...' (Ch. 3;43), '... floating rounds of

cocktails permeate the garden outside...'(pg44.), and 'they were, at least, agonizingly

aware of the easy money in the vicinity...'(pg.46). Most of these descriptions deal with

the totally chaotic environment around the scene. If it weren't so descriptive one may

think of the birthday parties or reunion parties they are used to. Now that is why I

believe that Fitzgerald put these descriptions in.

In another instance Fitzgerald uses description to describe the mood of people's

reactions of Gatsby. ' several years, he said in a gratified way'(pg. 76), 'I made the

pleasure of meeting his acquaintance just after the war' (pg. 760, and ' he would never so

much as to look at a friends wife' (pg. 77). These three descriptions lets us (the readers)

know what kind of image that Gatsby gives off to other people. I think that us knowing

what kind of an image Gatsby presents to other people is important information. It's

important because a story needs for the readers to get involved in the book.

Myrtle's death was a description of a scene to set the mood. Fitzgerald doesn't

just end the scene with her death, like I thought he would but instead he ends the scene

with the major effects and reactions to the death, which was a good strategy on his

behalf. Some of these mood setting descriptions were; ' he reached on his tiptoes and

peered over a circle of heads into the garage which was lit only by a yellow

light...'(pg.144), ' Myrtle Wilson's body wrapped in a blanket and then in another

blanket as though she had suffered from a chill in the hot night lay on a work

table...'(pg.146), ' Tom drove slowly until we were beyond the bend...'(Pg.148). These

three very dramatic descriptions of Myrtle's death tell the reader that it was a sad, sad

event and it also gives us clues that Gatsby is the one that ran her over. This is an

effective way to keep the reader on their toes and also to keep them thinking.

Gatsby's death was another section were Fitzgerald used description of the scene

to set the mood. ' ... the car wasn't to be taken out under any circumstances-and this was

strange...'(pg.169), '... if that was true he had felt that he had lost the whole warm

world...'(pg.169), finally 'A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts,

breathing dreams of air...'(pg.169). These descriptions are trying to prepare us for this

big tragedy. They are also setting the mood that nothing was going on and everything

was dead and worryless.

In conclusion this topic of setting the mood is quite clear in the way it presents

itself. I feel Fitzgerald is a master in doing this describing very well in everything he

writes.