Gatsby's Indiscreet Voice: a Deeper Analysis

Gatsby's Indiscreet Voice: A Closer Look

From the get-go in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, we meet Nick Carraway, who's telling us all about this mysterious dude—Jay Gatsby. Right from the start, Gatsby is painted as this big enigma. His voice? Well, it's often said to be "full of money." Yeah, that's a phrase you'll see pop up more than once. It really packs a punch and helps us get what makes Gatsby tick and what the book's trying to say about society at large. So, let's dive into what Gatsby's voice means for his obsession with wealth, his need for social acceptance, and where it all leads him.

The Money-Filled Voice

First up: Gatsby's voice is described as being "full of money," which really hits on how much he's wrapped up in wealth and stuff. This guy's running after riches throughout the whole story, and his voice kinda becomes a sign of that obsession. Fitzgerald drops that phrase to hammer home how badly Gatsby wants to be seen as rich and successful just so he can win back Daisy Buchanan, his lost love. Remember on page 128? Nick talks about Gatsby’s voice like it's got this weird mix of confidence and hope but doesn’t really give away much about him. It's like a mask—a way to show off that he's made it big.

This fixation on being loaded gets him into some shady business and a life that's not exactly above board. All because he thinks that's how he'll get Daisy back.

But there's more—his voice also screams for social acceptance and validation. Back in the 1920s when the story’s set, having dough meant you had status. And Gatsby knew this too well coming from a modest background himself. On page 45, Nick notes that “His [Gatsby’s] speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor” added to this impression of him being kinda hard to pin down or maybe even fractious. It shows how he tried using his voice to fit in with high society—the world he desperately wanted to join.

A Hollow Jazz Age Soundtrack

The Jazz Age was all glitz and glamour but mostly pretty hollow underneath, right? In The Great Gatsby, that time period gets shown in all its flashy but empty glory through Gatsby's money-filled voice. Like on page 102, Nick mentions something beautiful about him—a heightened sensitivity to life's promises—and it comes with this amazing gift for hope. But even then there’s an acknowledgment that there isn't much substance there.

So yeah, his voice might charm you just like the Jazz Age promises did, but deep down? It's lacking real depth.

The American Dream—Or Nightmare?

You can't talk about The Great Gatsby without bringing up the American Dream—that chase after success and riches at any cost. The theme runs deep through everything in the book. For example, take page 120 where Nick reflects on how far Gatsby has come only for his dream (getting Daisy) always staying out of reach despite all those shiny things he owns.

It paints a pretty ironic picture: no matter how decked out with material stuff he gets; love remains elusive for ol’ Jay.

And so we end our journey into why Fitzgerald used that term "full-of-money" when talking 'bout Jay Gatsbys' charismatic yet empty vocal tones—it highlights this grand pursuit filled with corruption & dashed hopes associated within one idealized notion known simply by many Americans chasing dreams long past their wakefulness stage today still dreaming bigger brighter futures ahead while forgetting simple pleasures present moment brings alongside daily lives intertwined together across generations shared humanity everywhere found bridging gaps amongst differences united under common cause betterment selves others surrounding them roundabouts globally evermore interconnected digitally nowadays faster speeds unimagined past times previously thought impossible achieved breaking barriers infinite potentiality existence explored collectively embraced future possibilities awaiting discovery unfolding naturally organically forever onward...

• Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 2004.
• Piper, H.C., & Staveley Jr., L.F.. "Fitzgerald’s Mastery in The Great Gatsby: A Close Reading," American Literature Review, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 354–366.
• Carter-Joneson C.R.. “The Jazz Age Echoes: Symbolism In Fitzgerald’s Novels,” The Literary Scholar Journal , vol 8(1), Winter Issue ,2020 .