Within Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, rhetoric is pulsing throughout the veins of his novel. His use of delicate diction and figurative speech aid in illuminating the complexities of the relationships held between Rosemary and the villa guests— particularly Dick Diver. This rhetoric is especially evident when Fitzgerald provides Rosemary’s perspective on her acquaintances, “Rosemary’s glance moved at intervals around the table, eager for the others’ enjoyment, as if they were her future stepchildren” (Fitzgerald 33). Rosemary is a natural entertainer, as her profession is a film star, but this demonstrates her need to please everyone she comes across and presents her almost superficially, in the sense that she is unable to form her own opinions and find true happiness until everyone else in her niche is pleased. It’s also crucial to take note of Fitzgerald’s choice of the phrase “future stepchildren.” Perhaps this is foreshadowing what is to become of Dick and Rosemarys romantic relationship or is an unexplained parallel to Fitzgerald’s own life that I will discover further into the reading.
I admire Fitzgerald’s use of vocabulary throughout his piece, it maintains a level of sophistication and elegance that is unmatched. Every word holds a purpose, it is imperative to analyze all concepts presented. Aside from this, I find the plot regarding Dick and Rosemary’s romance plateauing slightly, but the drama and desperation created by the demise of summer is thoroughly appreciated. Dicks emotions of betrayal are also well portrayed by Fitzgerald through his choice of writing Dicks mannerisms while he steals time with Rosemary in seclusion. The summer enables the relationship between Rosemary and Dick to occur due to the premise that this season is typically associated with a break from daily life, relaxation is often seen equally as time consuming as work or other duties. These concepts provide the opportunity for the infatuation between the two to thrive. If this novel had occurred in a different season, their priorities would have been in other places, disabling the risk taking behavior demonstrated by individuals in the summertime.