Diction

• While buying a dog for his mistress Myrtle, Tom corrects the salesman,“'It's a bitch,' said Tom decisively. 'Here's your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it'”(28). Tom is seen as a despicable character and Fitzgerald uses him to satirize the upper class. Through the word “decisively,” Fitzgerald is showing Tom's absolute certainty in himself. Tom commands the dog salesman to “Go and buy ten more dogs with [the money Tom payed him],” almost angry with the salesman for not knowing the sex of the puppy. Using this exchange the author is able to show how ridiculous the upper class behaves, lashing out at an unclarified mistake and being angry when spending such a relatively small sum.
• Speaking about Daisy, Nick remarks “'She's got an indiscreet voice...It's full of--' [Nick] hesitated. 'Her voice is full of money,' [Gatsby] said suddenly”(120). Money represents Daisy's lifestyle: she is sure of herself, and knows that she will always be provided for. She lives in excess and she doesn't care about real world problems. Nick was often lost trying to describe her voice, but Gatsby statement connotes that her only appeal was her wealth. By looking at Daisy's later actions we see that having a “voice full of money” is not good, it leads people to believe they are privileged over others and manipulate them for their advantage.