Understanding Modernism
The Great Gatsby
and Modernism
Understanding Modernism,
A Summary
It’s useful to think of Modernism in two ways:
first, as a “condition”, rather than an
intellectual movement, and second as a general
literary movement.
Modernism, as a literary style, emerged after
WWI, beginning in Europe and then
progressing into American literature by the late
1920s. After the First World War many people
questioned the chaos and the insanity of it all.
The world’s “universal truths” and trust in
authority figures began to crumble, and
Modernism was a response to the destruction
of these beliefs.
The Modern Condition
Unlike the Enlightenment and
Romanticism, however, when we speak
of Modernism we often refer to it as a
“condition” rather than a movement;
while the Enlightenment argued that
Rationality and Freedom would save
man from himself, and while
Romanticism argued that Love and
Emotion would correct the sterility and
“heartlessness” of the Enlightenment,
Modernism is in many ways a critique of
the empty or impossible promises of
both previous movements.
Artistic Expression
It was more than a literary movement,
though. Modernism can be seen in many
types of artistic expression from the
period 1928-1945 in America.
Question to Consider: What are Gatsby’s
various identities?
Question to Consider: Why does Nick
consider Gatsby “great”?
Modernism’s Characteristics
Fragmentation – in plot, characters,
theme, images, and overall storyline.
Thus, for instance, many modernist works
are not in the typical linear sequence.
Loss is a huge theme in modernist works.
The destruction of the family unit.
The “truth” is questionable, as a
common theme, and thus, you cannot
always trust the narrator to tell the truth,
whereas in traditional literature it is the
narrator’s job to make the reader
understand what’s going on. Also, there
may be more than one narrator, showing
the diversity of truth.
Characters may be given little or no
physical description, and one or more
characters is usually an "outcast.“
Authority figures are often
untrustworthy, reflecting the question of
truth.
Characteristics cont.
Movement away from religion.
The reversal of traditional roles
(Example: women doing something
typically “male” and/or vice versa. Or the
changing of customary racial roles).
Ambiguous ending; such works often
leave a lot of questions with the reader;
they don’t tie everything up for you.
Characteristics cont.
Often setting is more than just the setting
(i.e. more meaning to it than just where
the story takes place), or, maybe there is
no setting at all.
The use of improper grammar to reflect
dialect.
More use of the first person narrative,
reflecting the lack of universal truth, i.e.
there are only individual truths.
Discussion Questions
What is the American Dream? Has it
died?
Why does Nick consider Daisy and
Tom “careless”?
Conclusion
As you can see, modernism is more
complex than traditional writing, where
there is usually one narrator (third person
typically) whose job it is to “explain”
everything to the reader. Background is
just that, background. The writing is in
chronological order and all loose ends
are tied up for you in the end.