Thinking Activity on The Great Gatsby

 

                              The Great Gatsby

                                             - Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

                           

                      Francis Scott Fitzgerald was an American short - story writer and novelist , famous for his depictions of the Jazz Age(the 1920s ). His most brilliant novel being " The Great Gatsby " (1925). He considered one of the pre - eminent authors in the history of American literaure. His private life with his wife, Zelda, in both America and France, became almost as celebrated as his novels. 

               

                             The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel is third novel of him, it stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers.

                                        The novel tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self - made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Unsuccessful upon publication, the book is now considered a classic of American fiction and has often been called the Great American Novel. The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth century literature.

      ★ Thinking Activity on The Great Gatsby ★ 

Q.1  Explain in detail about"A Psychoanalytic attitude with the reference of "The Great Gatsby characters".

                               The Great Gatsby engages in a psychoanalytic approach to the story with the application of Freudian theory to support the interpretations. Without psychoanalytical criticism, we could not understand how the repression of Gatsby’s unhappy moments of life actually drives his character. And talked about a movement which called Modernism; rebellion against religion.

                                  The Great Gatsby define a dream of having a perfect and most affluent life in which seeking prosperity, gratification and sexuality is in the first priority by eradicating human evolution and corrupt the social morals. The role of Gatsby’s past in his dreams of the future can change the definition of prosperity in human conception.

                                 The Great Gatsby is an example of the American Dream in which people begin to seek out pleasure and power instead of 

individualism. Wealth is easy to come and it is used as a tool to obtain other desire.According to the father of psychology Sigmund Freud, the unconscious mind (or the unconscious) consists of the processes in the mind that occurs automatically and is not available to introspection, and include thought processes, memory, affect, and motivation. Gatsby’s unconscious mind led him towards something he could never have, but wanted so badly.

                                   From a psychological perspective, Gatsby’s invented past is more than just a strategy to pass himself off as a member of 

an upper class; it’s also a form of denial, a psychological defense to help him repress the memory of his real past. And his claim that his desire to psychologically kill the parents whose wounding influence still inhabits his own psyche and receive from those parents the psychological sustenance.

        Q.2 What is "Queer theory " explain in detail. And write a note on the " Gatsby & his master relationship". 

        " Queer theory means an approach to literary and cultural study that                 rejects traditional categories of gender and sexuality." 

                   Queer theory emphasises the fluid and humanly performed nature of sexuality – or better, sexualities. It questions socially established norms and dualistic categories with a special focus on challenging sexual (heterosexual/homosexual), gender (male/female), class (rich/poor), racial (white/non-white) classifications.

           Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of queer studies (often, formerly, gay and lesbian studies) and women's studies. The term can have various meanings depending upon its usage, but has broadly been associated with the study and theorisation of gender and sexual practices that exist outside of heterosexuality, and which challenge the notion that heterosexual desire is ‘normal’. 

                       

Following social constructivist developments in sociology, queer theorists are often critical of what they consider essentialist views of sexuality and gender. Instead, they study those concepts as social and cultural phenomena, often through an analysis of the categories, binaries, and language in which they are said to be portrays.

                              

            

                    The Great Gatsby (1925), a novel written during a critical period in the history of sexuality, as well as of gay and lesbian history. Nick has come East, he tells us at the start of the novel, to learn the bond business; later he indicates that he’s also in New York so that he may enjoy the company of men and to escape the increasing social expectations back in the Midwest, where he is being cajoled to marry. As it unfolds for Nick, Gatsby’s story his road to West Egg and to the wealth, power, and privilege he enjoys there is about coming to terms with an American social order delimited by patriarchal capitalism in which there is little possibility for authentic love or desire separate from the economic realm.

                             In an earlier manuscript version of the novel, Nick comments that his books contain “shining secrets only Morgan and Midas and Rothschild” knew; the change in the final draft replaces the name of a modern banker and founder through his sons of an international banking dynasty with that of an ancient homosexual literary mentor. Trimalchio, Gatsby seems more interested in orchestrating his parties anddisplaying his wealth than in his guests. This is not a passing allusion, however.

                              Fitzgerald offered“Trimalchio in West Egg”. Likely the advice Fitzgerald received against so identifying the novel was motivated by a sense that any association with the figure of Trimalchio, like the reference to Maecenas, would make overly explicit the thematic connections

seen throughout the novel between contemporary patriarchal capitalism, homosexuality, and slavery.

                         

   Q.3 what is American dream give your thoughts on that argument. Explain  in detail.

                            

                                The American dream is a national philosophy or a belief that specifies the ideal factors such as democracy, freedom, rights and equality that accords every citizen equal opportunity to prosper and achieve their set goals (Glenn, 2002). The foundation of the American dream is deeply rooted in the declaration of independence that assert that “all men are created equal”. 

                                          The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.

                                    The American Dream is the hope that anyone can earn success if they work hard enough. In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator Nick Carraway tells the story of Jay Gatsby, one of the richest men in the West Egg. Gatsby was born into a poor family, but came to obtain extravagant wealth through his work with Dan Cody, a millionaire. Gatsby’s desire for wealth was driven by his dream for the love of Daisy Buchanan. Although Gatsby was able to acquire great wealth, he never acquired Daisy’s love in the end. In fact, his dream for Daisy is what ultimately led to his destruction.

                             Through this novel, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream cannot be fully attained because those who believe in it are constantly striving for something better than themselves. He demonstrates that it is dangerous for one to reach for something more than what is given and expresses the idea that if people become so involved in materialistic things, they are not guaranteed happiness. Gatsby’s desire to achieve more than what he had ultimately led to his downfall, demonstrating that infinite success is not possible, as portrayed in the stock market crash preceding the Great Depression.

                               Gatsby is a clear embodiment of the American Dream: he was born poor and rose to achieve a higher wealth and social status.Gatsby’s love for Daisy led him to achieve extravagant wealth. In the sense of rising up social rank and obtaining financial success, Gatsby achieved the American Dream. Despite the wealth that Gatsby achieved, Fitzgerald conveys that materialism of the American Dream does not guarantee happiness. 

   Q.4   Do critical reading of " 2013 movie adaptation". 

     

                  

                           The Great Gatsby is a 2013 Australian-American 3D drama film. An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name, the film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke. It follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his neighbor Nick, who recounts his encounter with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties.

                              Compared to Jack Clayton’s historically precise adaptation, Baz Luhrmann’s version of Fitzgerald’s novel seems wildly flamboyant. This is particularly the case with Luhrmann’s vibrant use of more contemporary music, which gives the film’s Jazz Age atmosphere a twenty-first century edge. Although Luhrmann mostly remained faithful to the source material, he introduced a couple of changes to Nick Carraway’s frame story.

                                     Filming took place from September to December 2011 in Australia, with a $105 million net production budget. The film follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) and his neighbor Nick Carraway (Maguire), who recounts his encounter with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties on Long Island. The film was highly polarizing among critics; it received both praise and criticism for its acting performances, soundtrack, visual style, direction, and faithfulness to the source material.

 Audiences responded more positively and Fitzgerald's granddaughter praised the film, stating "Scott would have been proud." At the 86th Academy Awards, the film won in both of its nominated categories: Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.

In the novel The Great Gatsby, the notion of American Dream plays an important role in the advancement of plot. This idea of American dream is embodied in symbolic meaning of green light. As an audiences of the film of 2013 The Great Gatsby can see, this notion is manifested through different shots in the film. 

The starting scene and the ending scene involves this green light in addition to its numerous depiction via the duration of film. In the film this green light is mostly associated with Daisy. Daisy is shown as a romantic figure who suites Gatsby’s colossal hope. Gatsby is shown as a romantic figure who is passionately in love with Daisy and other aspects of his character are marginalized to reach a desirable effect of having him as romantic character in the film. Daisy and Tom are part of upper class and they are in sheer opposition with newly rich people like Gatsby. This antithesis between Gatsby’s class and Tom’s class is not shown in the film as it is described in the novel.

Accordingly, film makers have decided to focus on a plot in a way that Gatsby is shown as romantic figure and Daisy his suitable object of dream. They acquire their desirable effect by deleting some conversations that are illuminating for Daisy’s real character or Gatsby’s antithesis both in character and social Class with Tom. In this way both the story of novel and film are same but there are many similarities could be find.

    Q.5 Write a short note on this topic.

               5.1 Meditation on History

               5.2 Critique of Capitalism

               5.3 Veblenian Satire

               5.4 Skepticism about American Identity  

5.1  Meditation on History :-  

                                       Meditation is a private devotion or mental exercise encompassing various techniques of concentration, contemplation,and abstraction, regarded as conducive to heightened self - awareness, spiritual enlightenment, and physical and mental health.

 

                                   

              Nowadays, it is widely acknowledged that The Great Gatsby is much more than a novel set in the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald’s work so accurately evokes how life was like in America during the decade, that for many scholars it has become another historical document. 

     Francis Scott Fitzgerald, just like many other Americans of the time, lived those years intensely, something that allowed him in turn to appreciate the corruption and materialism that the shine and glamour of that period concealed. Having witnessed firsthand the darker side of the human being, he intended to write a novel which reflected the amorality, the hypocrisy and the cynicism of that time. The Great Gatsby, a novel that denounces to what extent money and materialism can deform the members of a society. 

        As it had been pointed out in the previous chapter, the prosperity enjoyed by the American population during the Twenties fomented the creation of a consumerist society. This is an aspect that Fitzgerald thoroughly describes in the novel. 

 5.2 Critique of Capitalism :-             

                         F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, can be read as a critique of capitalism. Fitzgerald created a world where class and money are the essence of everyone’s desire. The plot and the settings of unfolding events in The Great Gatsby are perfect examples of structures of capitalism, along class lines, which allows for a Marxist capitalist critique. Even though Fitzgerald wasn’t a socialist or Marxist himself, he shows in his book how capitalism creates and alienates different social classes.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates an artificial world where money is the object of everyone's desire. The characters, the setting, and the plot are very deeply submerged in a Capitalism that ends up destroying many of them. Fitzgerald's Criticism of Capitalism can be seen as a move to subtly promote Socialism, an ideology in which value is placed on the inherent value of an object rather than its market value

In a late collection of notes, Fitzgerald himself proclaims that he is "essentially Marxist." Marxism is a specific branch of Socialist theory. Fitzgerald makes Gatsby a novel that is not inherently Marxist or even Socialist, but one that is imbued with Marxist theory. He does this by denouncing nonhumanitarianism, reification, and market value. Fitzgerald implies that the Capitalist does not work because at the end of the novel, all of the characters that represent typical American Capitalism end up either dead or completely unhappy.

5.3 Veblenian Satire :-

                                               In Ray Canterbury’s Thorstein Veblen and The Great Gatsby, Canterbury argues that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s world-renowned novel wasn’t something unprecedented in its time and that Fitzgerald actually drew inspiration and ideas from economist Thorstein Veblen and his work Theories of the Leisure Class. Canterbury establishes that Fitzgerald and his astute satire was not totally original as Veblen was the first of his time to offer criticism that Social Darwinism doesn’t cause progress but regress.

                         Veblen was the first to satirize the rich and expose their social corruption and false values. Fitzgerald’s Gatsby parallels Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class and utilizes some of the same devices such as satire and irony to capture the waste and corruption of the rich. First, Canterbury analyzes Gatsby and his characters. He is the epitome of waste and immaturity that Veblen harped on. Also he uses Daisy as a parallel to the materialism centered around the “American Dream’ and the quest for affluence. 

                                   Lastly, Canterbury stated that Gatsby was a book that astutely captured the rich using many different tools. Like Veblen Fitzgerald used multiple writing tools such as satire, irony, and realism to expose the belief that money is a fix-all. Cabterbury puts forth a well-structured argument that I qualify as I believe his argument is too far-fetched.

 5.4 Skepticism about American identity :- 

 

                                       The  Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but it's most commonly understood as a pessimistic critique of the American Dream. The American dream was being crushed by the increased economic recession and the decline of the positive American spirit. The American people begun experiencing an identity cricis once the 'collective identity' failed to represent all Americans. A new ethnic and racialized identity was located by critics in The Great Gatsby.

                                 Benjamin Schreier reads The Great Gatsby as a novel that uncovers an encoded American identity, which he argues is constantly shifting throughout time. Schreier discusses how critics have been focusing on specific elements in Fitzgerald's novel to produce a generic understanding of the text, whilst Schreier suggest that a more efficient way to read the work would be to focus on the narrator Nick and his ambivalence as both insider and outsider. That race and desire in The Great Gatsby are considered to be motivating factors that resist shaping a definitive American identity. 

Thank you...