Fitzgerald uses [technique] in order to [insert his motive]. This is seen in the quote [insert quote]. The [part of speech] suggests that [insert implication]. This is relevant to the [type of context] because [reason].
Fitzgerald uses dialogue, especially in chapter 3, in order to introduce Gatsby’s mysterious past, which generates suspense. This is seen when Nick, Jordan and two girls are talking about Gatsby and his past, when one girl states that “somebody told me they thought he killed a man once” followed by an equally unfounded comment about how “he was a German spy during the war” or the contradictory “he was in the American army.” In all the quotes, the verbs “killed” and “was” are in the past tense, showing that this entire dialogue revolves around Gatsby’s past. It is also imperative to note that the first girl specifically uses the pronoun “somebody” which verifies that the dialogue isn’t based on facts, rather it is merely repeating rumors that already surround Gatsby. The author has chosen to generate suspense in the form of dialogue due to its incredibility and mysterious nature. Characters in the narrative recalling things they have heard about Gatsby is much more perplexing as the reader will have to piece the different facts and rumors together in order to create a perception of him. This, in turn, creates suspense as the reader keeps reading criminal things about Gatsby, but none of it is necessarily confirmed. His mysterious nature is completely justified by the method he used to become wealthy and the temporal context of the narrative. Seeing as how the story takes place during the 1920s, the production and distribution of alcohol was illegal, which is how Gatsby made his fortune. It would, therefore, make sense that he’d keep his identity a mystery.
The paragraph above is from an essay I wrote which got an A, or 24 marks.