The Great Gatsby Modernism - 1513 Words

One strong theme of modernism in literature is the attack and or decline of The American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that everyone, men, and women, have an equal opportunity to achieve wealth, success and or happiness through determination, and hard work, in other words, the pursuit of happiness. Two writers that illustrate this theme of modernism are F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, and Ernest Hemingway, author of The Sun Also Rises. From the outside, one may think The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story. However, its overall theme is more about The American Dream and how people are unable to obtain it. The Great Gatsby took place in the 1920s, a time in which America’s economy was booming. At the same time†¦show more content†¦Everyone s idea of The American Dream is to able to be happy and successful through hard work and determination. Another way in which The American Dream was conveyed in The Great Gatsby is through characters such as George and Myrtle Wilson. They were both introduced to readers in Chapter 2 when Nick Carraway and Tom are on their way to New York City, they stop by George’s garage to ask Myrtle to join them (Fitzgerald, 26). George and Myrtle Wilson are both chasing their own version of The American Dream. George Wilson is a lifeless and worn out man. He operates his own garage out of The Valley of Ashes. Wilson is doing the best he can at owning his own business and earn his own money. His wife Myrtle Wilson, who is Tom’s lover is trying to gain wealth and status by having an affair with Tom. However, Tom does not love her as George her husband does and treats her more like an object of his desire. George discovers Myrtle s affair and wants to move out west with his wife, far away from her lover (Fitzgerald, 123-126), but before this can happen Myrtle is killed by a yellow car. Filled with grief, George tracks down the owner of the yellow car, eventually discovering it belongs to Jay Gatsby and shoots both Gatsby and himself (Fitzgerald, 160-162). The unfortunate fates of George and Myrtle Wilson, as well as Jay Gatsby, show the dangers of trying to achieve The American Dream, trying to strive for something more inShow MoreRelatedModernism in the Great Gatsby1190 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is Modernism? This term was usually referred to as the literature era of the 1920’s. During the â€Å"Roaring Twenties†, as most would say, was the time of flappers, gangsters, and the beginning of some of the most renowned literature known to the United States. One of the famous books written in this time was The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. Included in the Modernism Era were the focus on trends and the extreme effect materialism makes on the society of the 1920’s. WithRead MoreModernism In The Great Gatsby1728 Words   |  7 Pages Modernism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows the story of Jay Gatsby in the Jazz Age of the United States. Although this novel tells a fictional tale, it also gives readers a window into the social and economic environment of America in the time period following World War I. For this reason, The Great Gatsby is considered one of the most important examples of Modernism in American literature. The Modernist themes in this novel comeRead MoreExamples of Modernism in Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby Essay1070 Words   |  5 Pages Great Gatsby Essay The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows many examples of modernism. Fitzgerald shows many modernism techniques like loss of control, alienation, corruption of the American Dream, breaking society’s rules and feeling restless. Fitzgerald also shows modernism through the fragmented writing. One example of a modernism technique that Fitzgerald uses is loss of control. The characters often lose control and make bad decisions thatRead MoreReview Of Francis Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby 1299 Words   |  6 Pagesplaywright, screenwriter, copywriter, and author of short stories. He was truly a trailblazer who paved the way for authors to come. Modernism means a style or movement that aims to break with traditional forms. Fitzgerald wrote during the time period of modernism. Modernism partook primarily in Europe from the early to mid twentieth century. Modernism symbolizes the introduction of new ways to express oneself as well as the separation from traditional ways. One major idea that was corroboratedRead MoreA Modernist Examination of the Good Anna and the Great Gatsby1646 Words   |  7 PagesA Modernist Examination of The Good Anna and The Great Gatsby Modernism is a movement characterized by the re-examination of literary styles, structures, content, and even human existence thought to be standard prior to 1900. The movement was all about looking at things in a new light, and trying to break the mold so long held by society as the norm. This movement took place in art, music, architecture, and as I will further discuss in this paper, literature. In this paper, I will discuss the modernistRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby797 Words   |  4 PagesAs World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II were occurring, America was in a time of uncertainty and questioning. Therefore, in following with the feeling of the American people, American writers often followed this theme of confusion in their writing, creating the age of Modernism. During the time period of Modernism, writers often included the themes of uncertainty, disjointedness, and disillusionment in their works. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gat sby, these three themes of uncertaintyRead MoreEssay on Modernism at Its Finest in Literature756 Words   |  4 PagesModernism at Its Finest In the beginning of the twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In thisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And The Harlem Renaissance1594 Words   |  7 PagesRittenhouse CP English 11 Modernism in The Great Gatsby the Harlem Renaissance I hope she ll be a fool — that s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool . . . You see, I think everything s terrible anyhow . . . And I know. I ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything. (The Great Gatsby, pg. 20) There was a loss of innocence, disillusionment and lack of faith in the American Dream. This became the movement known as Modernism. WWI was the first â€Å"totalRead MoreLost Generation By F. Scott Fitzgerald1396 Words   |  6 Pagesremarkable period, not only economically, socially, culturally and spiritually. American literature grew up to a new level with the advent of such a flow as the Modernism. Modernism Literature reached its peak in America from the 1920s to the 1940s. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most prominent representatives of this genre and entered Modernism in the United States above all as the first exponent of his ideas. In the works of Fitzgerald the topic â€Å"Lost generation† is in di sastrous pursuit of wealthRead MoreWomens Independence, Transcendentalism, and Materialism1029 Words   |  4 PagesModernism, especially during the 1920s, has always been a part of growing culture and literature. Independence, individualism, and materialism are all themes of how modernism affected culture and literature standards. Woman Settlers on the Frontier, Self Reliance, and The Great Gatsby are all literary examples of the development of a modern society. One of the major themes of modernism seen in culture and literature is the breaking of tradition as a self-dependent individual. Women were changing