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Theme Of Foils In The Great Gatsby

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Fitzgeralds’ Foils In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald use foils, a literary device in which two entities in opposition of each other are used to create tension. Foils also provide a way of seeing the interconnectedness of characters. Early on in the book we see Tom and Nick are going to the valley of ashes to stop by George Wilson's car repair shop, then Nick, Tom and Myrtle go into the city. Throughout this taking place we see that Tom is a foil to George or that George is a foil to Tom. George is described as, “He was a blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes.” Hello, Wilson, old man,” said Tom, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. “How’s business?” “I can’t complain,” answered Wilson unconvincingly. “When are you going to sell me that car?” “Next week; I’ve got my man working on it now.” “Works pretty slow, don’t he? “No, he doesn’t,” said Tom coldly. “And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.” “I don’t mean that,” explained Wilson quickly. “I just meant ——” His voice faded off and Tom glanced impatiently around the garage. Then I heard footsteps on a stairs, and in a moment the thickish figure of a woman blocked out the light from the office door”(Fitzgerald 25). As for Tom he is described in the book as, “Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining Palic 2

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