The first immigrants who came to the United States had one goal, which was to find work to become self-sufficient. This goal was the basis for many generations until the the 1920s. In the 20’s the American attitude changed to concerning themselves with worldly goods and living in the moment. This adjustment was due to the tremendous number of deaths that occurred in WWI. F. Scott Fitzgerald epitomizes this attitude in the novel, The Great Gatsby. Some believe that The Great Gatsby is not a Modernist novel; however, it reinforces the Modernist elements: anonymity, loss and exile, and destruction of traditional ideals.
Some argue that The Great Gatsby has more Realism era characteristics rather than a Modernist era ones . First and foremost, …show more content…
Initially, Fitzgerald illustrates, “She [Daisy] vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby – nothing. He felt married to her, that was all” (Fitzgerald 156-157). Losing Daisy was the most traumatizing event Gatsby experienced. Similarly, Giang, a student at Fukuoka Women 's University who wrote her dissertation on loss and exile in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels, pens about Gatsby, “ He seems to lose his identity in his search to win his love back, and he becomes a different man” ( Giang 18). Gatsby changes his entire view on life after meeting Daisy, and even carries out an alter ego of Jay Gatsby just to impress her. He becomes mesmerized in the materialistic way of the rich and is determined to become a wealthy and successful man in hopes to win Daisy’s heart. Lastly, Gatsby exile himself from reality upon returning from the war due to Daisy’s betrayal. Fitzgerald notes he Gatsby’s reaction to seeing Daisy for the first time in five years, “ Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place” (Fitzgerald 91). Gatsby catching the clock symbolizes that he wants to stop time and return back to the summer Daisy and Gatsby fell in love so he can resume their love story. Gatsby wants to turn a blind eye to the fact that Daisy has carried on with …show more content…
To start, idea of marriage pre-1920s was to start a family to help one reach prosperity and success. During the 1920s the view changed to marrying to make a social status. This shown by Jordan blurting, “Tom’s got some woman in New York” (Fitzgerald 19). Tom’s view on the idea of marriage is very lax. Even though he is married to the Daisy, that does not stop him from pursuing a relationship with Myrtle in New York City. Second of all, people in the twenties spent their money on materialistic items to flaunt their class rather than saving their money to become self-sustaining. Donaldson writes about Myrtle, “Myrtle exercises her discrimination by letting several taxicabs go by before selecting a lavender-colored one--not quite a circus wagon,but unseemly a showy color. Then she stops the cab in order to “get one of those dogs” for the apartment from a sidewalk salesman” (Donaldson 192). Myrtle is originally part of the lower class and desperately wants to be on a higher social standing, so she establishes a relationship with Tom. To prove to Tom that she is worthy, she selects a purple taxi cab because it stands out and is connected to royalty by color. Last of all, during the roaring 20’s, people carried about the meaningless ideals instead of important life matters. For example, inforefuge.com notes, “When Gatsby and Daisy
Some argue that The Great Gatsby has more Realism era characteristics rather than a Modernist era ones . First and foremost, …show more content…
Initially, Fitzgerald illustrates, “She [Daisy] vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby – nothing. He felt married to her, that was all” (Fitzgerald 156-157). Losing Daisy was the most traumatizing event Gatsby experienced. Similarly, Giang, a student at Fukuoka Women 's University who wrote her dissertation on loss and exile in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels, pens about Gatsby, “ He seems to lose his identity in his search to win his love back, and he becomes a different man” ( Giang 18). Gatsby changes his entire view on life after meeting Daisy, and even carries out an alter ego of Jay Gatsby just to impress her. He becomes mesmerized in the materialistic way of the rich and is determined to become a wealthy and successful man in hopes to win Daisy’s heart. Lastly, Gatsby exile himself from reality upon returning from the war due to Daisy’s betrayal. Fitzgerald notes he Gatsby’s reaction to seeing Daisy for the first time in five years, “ Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in place” (Fitzgerald 91). Gatsby catching the clock symbolizes that he wants to stop time and return back to the summer Daisy and Gatsby fell in love so he can resume their love story. Gatsby wants to turn a blind eye to the fact that Daisy has carried on with …show more content…
To start, idea of marriage pre-1920s was to start a family to help one reach prosperity and success. During the 1920s the view changed to marrying to make a social status. This shown by Jordan blurting, “Tom’s got some woman in New York” (Fitzgerald 19). Tom’s view on the idea of marriage is very lax. Even though he is married to the Daisy, that does not stop him from pursuing a relationship with Myrtle in New York City. Second of all, people in the twenties spent their money on materialistic items to flaunt their class rather than saving their money to become self-sustaining. Donaldson writes about Myrtle, “Myrtle exercises her discrimination by letting several taxicabs go by before selecting a lavender-colored one--not quite a circus wagon,but unseemly a showy color. Then she stops the cab in order to “get one of those dogs” for the apartment from a sidewalk salesman” (Donaldson 192). Myrtle is originally part of the lower class and desperately wants to be on a higher social standing, so she establishes a relationship with Tom. To prove to Tom that she is worthy, she selects a purple taxi cab because it stands out and is connected to royalty by color. Last of all, during the roaring 20’s, people carried about the meaningless ideals instead of important life matters. For example, inforefuge.com notes, “When Gatsby and Daisy