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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
Fitzgerald writes with a rich and vivid prose, making heavy use of figurative language in order to describe the wealth, beauty, and opulence of his characters and their lives. Tender is the Night is ultimately a story about the unraveling of a romance—Dick and Nicole's marriage—through romance with others, be it Dick and Rosemary or Nicole and Tommy. This tale of degeneration includes descriptions of death, decay, and misery, which contrast sharply with the luxury frequently described.
Tender is the Night is about a psychiatrist (Dick) and a mentally unwell patient whom he marries (Nicole). Accordingly, it is a deeply psychological story that shares, and also obscures, intimate thoughts and feelings throughout the course of the novel. Fitzgerald's third person omniscient point of view centers around different characters depending on the chapter, exposing the reader to certain thoughts and feelings while at the same time intentionally obscuring other characters' thoughts and feelings depending on the moment. This stylistic element enables the reader to experience the complex interpersonal dynamics between different characters from various perspectives.
Tender is the Night has a non-linear structure: the story is told non-chronologically, with the reader moving back and forth in time as the story continues from character to character, chapter to chapter. This complex structure enables Fitzgerald to creatively manipulate the reader's experience with the story. For example, by introducing the reader to protagonists Dick and Nicole through Rosemary initially, the reader first views the Divers as Rosemary does: in other words, as near-mythical, beautiful, high-class socialites. This mythos is dispelled as the novel unwinds itself and the reader learns more and more about Dick and Nicole.
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