The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

He had intended, probably, to take what he could and go-but now he found that he had committed himself to the following of a grail. He knew that Daisy was extraordinary, but he didn’t realize just how extraordinary a “nice” girl could be (149).

Through the novel, Fitzgerald utilizes figurative language multiple occasions, especially symbolism and analogies. For example, he equates Daisy to a “grail”.  The lost grail is a futile. Many men search for the grail. None succeed. Here, he implies that success is out of Gatsby’s reach. He will fail in obtaining his desired woman. Also, within the chapter, he speaks of a holocaust. This analogy describes the deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby in the same day. Through the analogies, Fitzgerald assumes his audience to be more educated.