How 'The Great Gatsby' opens effectively and prepares the reader for the rest of the novel.

'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald opens effectively and prepares the reader for the rest of the novel. Fitzgerald does this by using techniques such as symbolism and setting. The symbolism in the first few chapters of the novel is very important as it prepares the reader for the rest of the novel. A good example of this is in the first chapter when Daisy, Tom and Nick go into Daisy's garden. " 'Why candles?…

…fulfilled that dream, she has no drive or ambition. "The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young women were buoyed up." This clearly shows Daisy has no direction in life and she is only rich because she married Tom. She married for money, not love. This is effective because this theme is constant throughout the novel and is important in the understanding of Gatsby and Daisy's characters.