What is the oxymoron in The Great Gatsby?

The oxymoron “ferocious delicacy” gives the impression that Mr. Wolfshiem is eating his meal both barbarically and politely, which points to the deeper contradictions of the upper class that Wolfshiem and Gatsby belong to.

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What is an oxymoron in The Great Gatsby Chapter 1?

Nick narrates that he often faked sleep, preoccupation, or “hostile levity” (line 13), all suggesting that he immediately judges those around him without even listening to them. The last two words – “hostile levity” are also oxymoronic, since he cannot possible be aggressively lighthearted as these two words suggest.

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What are 3 examples of oxymoron?

“Awfully good,” “bittersweet,” “same difference,” and “original copy” are a few oxymoron examples.

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What are the literary devices in The Great Gatsby?

The rhetorical devices that Fitzgerald uses in the novel are alliteration, allusion, epizeuxis, hyperbole, imagery, metaphor and simile, oxymoron, and personification.

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Is ferocious delicacy a oxymoron?

Wolfshiem is said to eat with 'ferocious delicacy' (p. 69). An adjective is coupled with a noun that seems to contradict it, creating an oxymoron. This seems to fit with Wolfshiem's character, which is both sentimental and ruthless.

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The Great Gatsby: Oxymorons & Paradoxes

15 related questions found

Is hot ice an oxymoron?

Oxymoron is a word that describes an expression of two contradictory thoughts, words, or phrases. There are many examples of oxymorons in the English language such as “jumbo shrimp,” “hot ice,” and “civil war.”

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What is the pathetic fallacy in The Great Gatsby?

In chapter five, changes in the weather correspond with the development of the characters' moods. This is known as pathetic fallacy . On the day arranged for the meeting of Gatsby and Daisy there was pouring rain: Gatsby is worried that she will not come and he is described as "pale as death".

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What literary techniques stood out the most in The Great Gatsby?

The style of The Great Gatsby is wry, sophisticated, and elegiac, employing extended metaphors, figurative imagery, and poetic language to create a sense of nostalgia and loss.

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What is dramatic irony in The Great Gatsby?

One example of dramatic irony used in the novel is when the character Tom Buchanan pulls up to George Wilson's garage and sees the car accident Wilson's wife has been in. Tom believes the accident will bring in business, and he does not realize the accident killed Wilson's wife.

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What is the most famous oxymoron?

Some popular everyday oxymorons include:
  • Almost exactly.
  • Awfully good.
  • Deafening silence.
  • Freezer Burn.
  • Living dead.
  • Loyal opposition.
  • Old news.
  • Only choice.

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What is the biggest oxymoron?

The phrase "sleep like a baby" is the biggest oxymoron of all time.

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What is the most common oxymoron?

The most common type of oxymoron is an adjective followed by a noun. One oxymoron example is "deafening silence," which describes a silence that is so overpowering it almost feels deafening, or extremely loud—just as an actual sound would.

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What does George killing Gatsby symbolize?

He forces Tom to tell him who the yellow car belongs to then tracks down Gatsby and kills him before killing himself. George Wilson's main purpose in the story is to act as a reminder to the reader that the average man lives a much harsher reality than people like Gatsby or the Buchanans.

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What is one example of irony in The Great Gatsby?

Tom Buchanan learns that his wife, Daisy, is having an affair, which is ironic given that he is also having an affair. Daisy is the driver of the vehicle that hits and kills Myrtle Wilson. This is ironic since Myrtle is the mistress of her husband. These are both examples of dramatic irony.

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What is the irony of Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby?

In Chapter 1, we are introduced to Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel. This entire novel is written from Nick's viewpoint. Nick's relationship to Gatsby is an example of irony because Nick tells the story about Gatsby but he does not like the man.

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What is a hyperbole in The Great Gatsby?

1. Daisy: “I'm paralyzed with happiness” (9) 2. “I'm sEff, [Jordan] complained, “I've been lying on that sofa as long as I can remember” (11). 3.

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What figurative language is used in The Great Gatsby?

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses refined figurative language such as simile, metaphor, personification, and symbolism to convey the mood and themes of the novel.

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What is a metaphor in The Great Gatsby?

"The man bending over her is her director." In this metaphor, Nick conveys the beauty and elegance of a movie star by comparing her to an orchid (a tall, slender flower) sitting under a white-plum tree. The tree may be another metaphor for her director, who is said to be “bending over her.”

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What are 5 examples of pathetic fallacy?

The weather and season can be described with human emotions to reflect the mood of a character or create a tone.
  • 'The raindrops wept around him. '
  • 'A friendly sun shone down brightly on the party guests as they arrived in the garden. '
  • 'The weather is miserable outside. '

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How does Steinbeck use pathetic fallacy?

Steinbeck utilises pathetic fallacy in the darkness created by Curley's wife as she blocks the doorway to compliment the positive connotations of the noun 'sunshine' to emphasise how Curley's wife is the antithesis to light- unsafe, negative, and dangerous.

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What is the personification of pathetic fallacy?

The phrase pathetic fallacy is a literary term for the attribution of human emotion and conduct to things found in nature that are not human. It is a kind of personification that occurs in poetic descriptions, when, for example, clouds seem sullen, when leaves dance, or when rocks seem indifferent.

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What is a famous literary oxymoron?

What is an example of oxymoron in literature? One well-known example of an oxymoron in literature is from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. "Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!" Both "brawling love" and "loving hate" are oxymorons because they are two words used together with contradictory meanings.

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What is oxymoron examples with explanation?

My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos, if you will. Same difference. The above phrase is packed with oxymorons, including “organized mess,” “controlled chaos,” and “same difference.” For something to be organized, it cannot be a mess. Chaos is anything but controlled!

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Is an oxymoron an oxymoron?

Oxymoron is sometimes used to describe a word combination that strikes the listener as humorously contradictory, even if the speaker didn't intend it that way. The word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; in Greek, oxy- means "sharp" or "wise," while moros means "foolish."

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