IMAGERY

"There was a faint, barely perceptible movement of the water as the fresh flow from one end urged its way toward the drain at the other. With little ripples that were hardly the shadows of waves, the laden mattress moved irregularly fown the pool. A small gust of wind that scarcely corrugated the surface was enough to disturb its accidental course with accidental burden. The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing, like the leg of transit, a thin red circle in the water" (pg 162). When I was reading this paragraph I was so captivated by the realistic imagery. I felt as though I could have almost witnessed this catastrophe. My best friend and I have pools, so I know what it's like for leaves to bunch up if you don't skim frequently. Gatsby had recently been talking about how his pool didn't get much action, so a cluster of leaves is very plausible. I can also relate to the movement of the air mattress up and down the pool. Whenever I lay out on a raft, I don't stay still for a second, unless I'm holding onto something. Therefore, a small gust of wind could easilly disturb the mattress. As for the "thin red circle in the water," I am thoroughly disturbed by that, because I have never witnessed anything like that. However, I imagine it to look like the water you wash your paintbrush off in after you paint a red apple or something.