The Representation of American Dream and Modernity through the Images of Visual Culture in Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (PDF)

Academic Paper from the year 2019 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Stuttgart, language: English, abstract: The following essay shall examine the representation of the American Dream and modernity through the images of the visual culture in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Therefor, a historical and cultural background is of necessity to fully understand the literary work. Also the relation between the novel and its time will be discussed. In order to elaborate on modernist writing techniques and the use of symbols, a close reading is given in chapter three. Finally, the reception in film shall be discussed with regard to portrayal of visual images.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925) is without any controversy a classic of its time and still finds reception in scholarships and films. Due to current issues like class inequality or the pursuit of wealth, "Fitzgerald¿s masterpiece has never been more relevant" (The Guardian). Written during the Golden 20s, the novel is set in a time in which social and political norms were transformed drastically. On the one hand this generation celebrated wealth and economic success, but on the other the loss of norms and traditions stamped this time. The majority of people moved to the modernized city, driven by the Dream of Success.The Jazz Age embodies the social and cultural changes associated with the modernism movement, which counts any literary production from the interwar period that discusses the issues of modernity (Baym). A society that experienced the breakdown of norms and beliefs wanted to anticipated from former rules also in writing and focused "realist expression[s]" (Le Fustec) of their environment. Likewise, modernity and inventions, as well as the belief in the American Dream are mirrored critically in literature of that time. As a result of inventions, the visual culture, i.e. culture expressed through images, became increasingly established. This also shows up in contemporaneous literary production through the agglomerated use of symbols. The belief in the great American Dream encouraged generations of Americans to pursue their hopes and go further, despite race or social standards. Though, the experience of failure likewise affected people¿s dreams. As a matter of historical and cultural criticism, The Great Gatsby perfectly captures the contradictions of that time, when it tells the story of a young male who believes in the Self-Made Man and enters upper class just to reacquire his early love Daisy. [...]