Hello friends, here I am writing this blog on F. Scott Fitzgerald's one of the most famous novels 'The Great Gatsby' and here I am trying to give answers to some questions about the novel.
∆ F. Scott Fitzgerald :
American short-story writer and novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his turbulent personal life and his famous novel 'The Great Gatsby.Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44.
→ His famous works :
'This Side of Paradise' (1920)
'The Beautiful and Damned' (1922)
'The Great Gatsby' (1925)
'Tender Is the Night' (1934)
'The Love of the Last Tycoon'(1939)
→ 'The Great Gatsby' :
The Great Gatsby is considered Fitzgerald's finest work, with its beautiful lyricism, pitch-perfect portrayal of the Jazz Age, and searching critiques of materialism, love and the American Dream. 1925, The Great Gatsby is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner who moves into the town of West Egg on Long Island. The novel follows Nick and Gatsby's strange friendship and Gatsby's pursuit of a married woman named Daisy, ultimately leading to his exposure as a bootlegger and his death. Although The Great Gatsby was well-received when it was published, it was not until the 1950s and '60s, long after Fitzgerald's death.
→ Here I am trying to give answers of these following questions :
∆ How did the film help in understanding the symbolic significance of 'The Valley of Ashes', 'The Eyes of Dr. T J Eckleberg' and 'The Green Light'?
→ The Valley of Ashes :
In the Great Gatsby, the valley of ashes is the dark side of the American Dream. The valley of ashes was a wasteland created by the waste of industrial ashes, which represented the lower class of society decay that results from not pursuing wealth and those who have not yet achieved the American Dream. In the valley of ashes lives Myrtle and George Wilson, who is owner of an old auto shop in the valley of ashes. Myrtle Wilson is the mistress of Tom Buchanan, which she later dies by getting hit by Daisy Buchanan in the valley of ashes.
The valley of ashes is found between West Egg and New York City, however in contrast to East and West Egg's rich preeminent society, the valley of ashes is where the poor people live. Its inhabitants are the casualties of the rich who are dumped on by the rest of the world in the same way ashes are dumped on them. The Valley is literally defined by its dust and ash, this is where the ashes from the city's industries are dumped.
The valley of ashes is described as being a dark dirty place covered in grey ash. The colour grey has its own symbolism within the book as it implies the disappearance of hopes and dreams. "transcendent effort of ash-grey men'' refers to the men who work in the valley of ashes. Their existence is hardly living, they have no dreams. In reference to the valley itself, the colour grey is used as a descriptor, " Above the grey land and the spasms of black dust". In this context grey is meant to describe the valley itself, and the hopelessness of its inhabitants. Grey in today's society continues to be a colour of depression, sadness, misfortune and the poverty-stricken.
→ The Eyes of Dr. T J Eckleberg :
"The eyes of Doctor T J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existant nose." In this novel these behemoth eyes are made to represent God, or more accurately a dead God that sits and stares while we destroy everything. They act as a constant reminder of society's moral decay, but observe silently, offering neither guidance nor comfort. This theme is still very common today. It seems that fewer and fewer people believe in God, and those who do, see him as a punisher, not a savior. The idea of a dead God is rampant in our society.
→ The Green Light :
To Gatsby, the green light represents his dream, which is Daisy. To attain her would be completing Gatsby’s American Dream. The first time the green light is seen in the novel is also the first time Nick sees Gatsby. Fitzgerald writes, "he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away" The green light is described as ‘minute and far away’ which makes it appear impossible to reach. This will prove to be true for Gatsby. The green light also represents society’s desire and the seeming impossibility of achieving the materialistic American Dream.
In the novel, it is revealed that Gatsby's desire for Daisy is also his desire for the past. Five years ago, when Gatsby first meets Daisy and they fall in love, Daisy was the representation of status and wealth. He reinforces the idea that green light represents Daisy which is his dream. He uses the metaphor of traffic lights, where if he wishes to drive toward the green light, first Gatsby will need the money to buy a car. Which is ultimately what he does. He amassed his wealth to use in his perusal of Daisy.
However now when he desires Daisy, he also desires the past that he shared with Daisy. At the end of the novel Nick concludes the book with these words, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” This describes Gatsby’s inability to move on from the past.
Everything he does in the novel is to try and recreate the past. In this metaphor, Gatsby tries to go against the currents—or time—to reach the green light or his dream. And as in the quote, the green light which represents his dream, ‘recedes’ like waves year by year.
∆ How did the film capture the theme of racism and saxism ?
→ The character of Tom Buchanan is especially interesting his unconcealed sexism, hypocrisy, selfishness, and racism. The narrator does not hide Tom’s negative features.
Fitzgerald’s message about racism and sexism was that it was prominent social construct in that time period illustrating with Tom’s character. With Tom, he would tear down others during his process of becoming successful. By him being white, he saw himself as superior to other races and women. In this time period, people of color were not seen as equal but had their voice heard from the noise they would make. Tom feels that his race is under fire and will lose their hold on things, things such as government and politics.
In conclusion, Tom Buchanan’s racism reflects the ideas and situation in the country in the 1920s when the fight for white supremacy could still be observed though it was not so ardent as at the end of the nineteenth century. Tom belonged to people who strictly opposed the principles of equality between black and white people expressing his aversion to intermarriages and fearing to be
submerged by the black community.
∆ Watch the video on Nick Carraway and discuss him as a narrator.
→ Nick’s aspects of anonymity are very important to his narration of the novel. We know Nick as a specific character, but there is an omnipresent quality to him. Since Nick is not as important of a figure as the likes of Jay Gatsby, he is not the central driving force of the novel. Therefore, Nick can still take part in the world around him but also has the ability to be all-perceiving of the action taking place. This is evident, for example, when Nick describes himself as “within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life,” (35). He is not fully absorbed in the action of the narrative, rather on the sidelines, and is therefore able to distance himself and see details that wouldn't normally present themselves, including an objective view of his own experience. The distance that Nick gains from his anonymity is very valuable to the experience of his narration. Not only is Nick able to see the truth of the world around him, but he is also able to be critical. Nick’s goal always seems to be honesty, especially when describing Gatsby. It is only through the critical eye gained from anonymity that Nick is able to be completely honest without fear of judgment.
We know that Nick is a writer, and we know that he is writing Gatsby's story as he tells it. The idea of involving oneself in a narrative, but retaining some anonymity in order to protect one’s actions or motivations as a writer, could very well be representative of the modernist writing process as a whole.
• Word Count : 1311
• Images : 2
