Name : Kumkum V. Hirani
Sem :- M.A. sem - 2
Paper :- 106
Paper :-The Twentieth Century Literature: 1900 to World War II
Roll No :- 14
College:- Smt. S. B. Gardi College
Email id:-kumkumhirani6@gmail.
com
Assignment
Modernism and Realism in The Great Gatsby :-
Table of contents:
- Introduce
- About Author
- About Novel
- Modernism and Realism in The Great Gatsby
- Three Social Classes
- Realist Critique of Social Inequality
- The Unreliable Narrator and Fragmented Narrative
- Modernist Reflection in the Novel’s Ending
- Conclusion
About the Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald :-
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (1896–1940) was one of the most significant American writers of the 20th century. Known for his keen observation of society, he captured the excesses and moral decay of the Jazz Age (the 1920s). Fitzgerald’s works often explore the disillusionment of the American Dream, the contrast between wealth and poverty, and the corruption of human values due to materialism.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was a bright but struggling student who attended Princeton University, though he never graduated. Instead, he pursued a career in writing, publishing his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920), which was an instant success. His marriage to Zelda Fitzgerald, a woman whose extravagance mirrored the themes in his novels, was both passionate and tumultuous.
His major works include:-
This Side of Paradise (1920) – A semi-autobiographical novel about ambition and romantic disillusionment.
The Beautiful and Damned (1922) – A novel about a wealthy couple’s downfall due to reckless spending.
The Great Gatsby (1925) – His masterpiece, examining the American Dream, class divisions, and moral decay.
Tender Is the Night (1934) – A tragic novel about mental illness, wealth, and self-destruction.
Despite his early fame, Fitzgerald’s later years were marked by financial struggles and alcoholism. When he died in 1940, he was largely forgotten, but The Great Gatsby was rediscovered in the post-war years and is now considered one of the greatest American novels of all time.
Basic Information About The Great Gatsby :-
Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Publication Year: 1925
Genre: Modernist novel, Tragedy
Setting: New York and Long Island (East Egg, West Egg, and the Valley of Ashes), Summer 1922
Narrator: Nick Carraway
Themes: The American Dream, Class Struggles, Wealth, Love, Disillusionment, Corruption
The novel follows Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws extravagant parties in an attempt to rekindle his past romance with Daisy Buchanan. Told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor and an observer of the wealthy elite, the story explores idealism, ambition, moral decay, and the illusion of success.
Introduction: Modernism and Realism in The Great Gatsby :-
The Great Gatsby is a novel that seamlessly blends Modernism and Realism, two major literary movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Realism aims to depict life accurately, focusing on ordinary characters, social struggles, and moral dilemmas.
Modernism is an experimental movement that emphasizes fragmented storytelling, symbolism, and themes of alienation and disillusionment. Fitzgerald uses Realism to portray the rigid social classes and inequalities of the 1920s while incorporating Modernist techniques such as an unreliable narrator, a fragmented narrative, deep symbolism, and an exploration of disillusionment. The novel critiques both the false promises of the American Dream and the emptiness of material wealth.
Realism and Modernism in The Great Gatsby :-
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel that blends Realism and Modernism to offer a sharp critique of 1920s American society. Through its portrayal of rigid social classes, materialism, and moral decay, the novel reflects Realist themes, which focus on presenting life as it truly is, rather than as an idealized or heroic narrative. At the same time, the novel’s use of an unreliable narrator, fragmented storytelling, and deep symbolism aligns it with Modernism, which sought to challenge traditional literary forms and explore themes of alienation and disillusionment.
By analyzing both Realist and Modernist elements in The Great Gatsby, we can better understand how Fitzgerald portrays the failure of the American Dream, the emptiness of material wealth, and the moral decline of society.
1. Realism in The Great Gatsby :
1.1. Definition of Realism :
Realism is a literary movement that developed in response to romanticized and idealized literature. It aims to present life as it truly is, without over-exaggeration or embellishment.
Key characteristics of Realist literature include:
- A focus on everyday life and ordinary people rather than heroic or overly dramatic figures.
- Complex and morally ambiguous characters instead of purely good or evil individuals.
- A critical look at social and economic structures, often exposing injustice and inequality.
Realist literature often challenges the notion of the American Dream, which suggests that hard work and determination alone can lead to success. Fitzgerald applies these principles in The Great Gatsby by portraying the limitations of social mobility, the consequences of material obsession, and the moral emptiness of the wealthy elite.
1.2. Realism in the Social and Economic Structure :
One of the most realistic aspects of The Great Gatsby is its portrayal of class divisions in 1920s America. Fitzgerald highlights how wealth and social background determine a person’s fate, rather than their personal efforts or character.
The Three Social Classes in the Novel:
1. Old Money (East Egg)
- Represented by Tom and Daisy Buchanan.
- These families have inherited wealth and see themselves as superior to others.
- They are elitist, entitled, and indifferent to the struggles of those outside their class.
- They feel secure in their wealth and do not face real consequences for their actions.
2. New Money (West Egg)
- Represented by Jay Gatsby.
- These individuals have earned their wealth recently, often through illegal means.
- Despite their riches, they are not fully accepted by the old-money elite.
- Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle and extravagant parties reflect his desire for acceptance but also show that money alone cannot buy true social status.
3. The Working Class (Valley of Ashes)
- Represented by George and Myrtle Wilson.
- This group struggles for economic survival and is often exploited by the wealthy.
- Myrtle dreams of escaping her poor life by having an affair with Tom, but her fate ultimately reflects the harsh reality that upward mobility is nearly impossible.
- George Wilson is powerless against the wealthy elite and is manipulated into taking the fall for Gatsby’s death.
Realist Critique of Social Inequality :
Fitzgerald’s critical perspective on wealth and privilege is particularly evident in this passage:
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness…" (Chapter 9)
This line highlights the irresponsibility of the rich. Tom and Daisy cause real harm to others Daisy kills Myrtle with Gatsby’s car, and Tom manipulates George into killing Gatsby but they do not face any punishment. Instead, they escape without consequences, reinforcing the Realist idea that wealth protects the privileged from accountability.
1.3. Realism in Characterization:
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald avoids simplistic characterizations. Instead of presenting clear heroes and villains, he creates complex, flawed, and morally ambiguous characters, a key feature of Realist literature.
Realist Characters in The Great Gatsby :
Jay Gatsby – A self-made millionaire who embodies both the promise and the failure of the American Dream. His relentless pursuit of the past makes him a tragic figure, showing that no amount of wealth can change one’s social standing or rewrite history.
Daisy Buchanan – Initially charming and desirable, Daisy ultimately prioritizes security and wealth over love. She is passive and indifferent, showing how privileged individuals often lack genuine emotional depth.
Tom Buchanan – A man of old money privilege, Tom represents entitlement, hypocrisy, and toxic masculinity. He has affairs, abuses power, and controls those around him, but faces no consequences.
Nick Carraway – Though he claims to be an honest observer, Nick is morally complicit in Gatsby’s downfall. His bias and selective storytelling make him an unreliable narrator, reflecting the Realist theme of subjective morality.
2. Modernism in The Great Gatsby:
2.1. Definition of Modernism :
Modernism is a literary movement that emerged after World War I. It rejected traditional storytelling methods and explored themes of alienation, fragmentation, and existential crisis.
Key features of Modernist literature include:
- Nonlinear storytelling and fragmented narratives.
- Unreliable narrators, who present a subjective version of reality.
- Symbolism and abstract imagery to convey deeper meanings.
- Themes of alienation, disillusionment, and loss.
Fitzgerald’s use of flashbacks, symbolism, and an unreliable narrator makes The Great Gatsby a quintessential Modernist novel.
2.2. The Unreliable Narrator and Fragmented Narrative :
Nick Carraway is an unreliable narrator, meaning readers cannot fully trust his version of events. His bias toward Gatsby influences how the story is told, making it difficult to determine what is fact and what is interpretation.
Additionally, the novel’s nonlinear structure, with flashbacks revealing Gatsby’s past, reflects Modernism’s experimental approach to storytelling. This fragmented narrative mirrors Gatsby’s obsession with the past, reinforcing the theme of time’s inescapability.
2.3. Themes of Disillusionment and Alienation :
Modernist literature often explores existential crises and the breakdown of meaning. This is reflected in:
Gatsby’s dream is unattainable – No matter how hard Gatsby tries, he cannot rewrite the past. His idealized vision of Daisy is an illusion.
Nick becomes disillusioned – He starts as a neutral observer but eventually rejects the corruption of the upper class and leaves New York.
Society is morally bankrupt – The wealthy escape consequences, while the poor suffer. Gatsby, despite his ambition, meets a tragic end, whereas Tom and Daisy move on without remorse.
Modernist Reflection in the Novel’s Ending :
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Chapter 9)
encapsulates the novel’s themes of nostalgia, unattainable dreams, and the struggle against time. This sentence is deeply Modernist in its exploration of existential despair and the cyclical nature of human striving.
At its core, this line suggests that people are trapped in an endless cycle of attempting to move forward while being inevitably pulled back. Gatsby embodies this struggle; despite his wealth and status, he is unable to escape his past or achieve his idealized vision of the future. His relentless pursuit of Daisy is not just a romantic endeavor but a desperate attempt to recreate a lost time that no longer exists as he remembers it. Modernist literature often critiques the idea of progress, and here, Fitzgerald expresses the futility of Gatsby’s dream, as well as the broader human condition.
The metaphor of "boats against the current" highlights this tension. The current represents the passage of time and reality, which continually push individuals away from their dreams. Yet, despite knowing that the past is unreachable, Gatsby (and humanity in general) continues to strive against this force. The phrase "borne back ceaselessly into the past" reinforces this inevitability people are constantly shaped by their memories, desires, and past experiences, no matter how much they attempt to break free.
In a Modernist sense, this reflects a rejection of the 19th-century belief in linear progress. Rather than moving toward a better future, individuals in Fitzgerald’s world are stuck in an unending cycle of longing and disappointment. This aligns with other Modernist works that emphasize disillusionment and the instability of meaning in the modern world.
Ultimately, this closing passage transforms Gatsby’s personal tragedy into a universal statement about human ambition and failure. His downfall is not just his own, but a reflection of the broader disillusionment of the Jazz Age a time when material success failed to bring true fulfillment. Fitzgerald leaves readers with a haunting realization: despite all efforts to move forward, people remain tethered to their past, endlessly repeating the same struggles.
Conclusion :
The Great Gatsby is a Realist critique of class divisions and materialism while also being a Modernist exploration of disillusionment and the impossibility of the American Dream. Fitzgerald uses complex characters, an unreliable narrator, deep symbolism, and social critique to craft a timeless reflection on ambition, morality, and loss.
Ultimately, the novel warns that wealth and status cannot buy happiness or erase the past, making it a powerful commentary on the illusions that shape human desire and the inevitable disillusionment that follows.
Reference:-
Eble, Kenneth. “The Great Gatsby.” College Literature, vol. 1, no. 1, 1974, pp. 34–47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25111007. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Kerr, Frances. “Feeling ‘Half Feminine’: Modernism and the Politics of Emotion in The Great Gatsby.” American Literature, vol. 68, no. 2, 1996, pp. 405–31. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2928304. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Meredith, James H. “Fitzgerald’s Sense of Modernist Place and Time.” The F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, vol. 4, 2005, pp. 208–11. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41583100. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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