The Great Gatsby Study Notes
The Great Gatsby is set against the backdrop of 1920s New York City, a period known as the “Roaring
Twenties” for the exhilarating pace set by the rapidly evolving culture and technology. It was a decade of
tremendous wealth in the United States following the deprivations of the First World War, and the
upper-class characters of Gatsby exemplify the hedonism (the pursuit of pleasure and sensual
self-indulgence) of the era.
Modernism
Modernism rejected tradition in society and was about doing old things in a new way. There was a belief
that science and technology could make the world better by transforming it. These so-called modernists
wanted the freedom of expression, or rather the freedom of experimentation in their books. For people like
you and me, it is about our ability to make sense of the world around us through our own observation and
reflection. That’s what modernism is all about.
In ‘The Great Gatsby’, Fitzgerald shows many examples of modernism. He achieves through many
modernism techniques such as loss of control (Tom and Daisy’s affairs lead to the death of Myrtle Wilson as
they are both “careless people”), alienation (felt by Gatsby and demonstrated through the attendance
record of his funeral), corruption of the American Dream (money makes people chase the wrong things,
this material acquisition their main priority, not seeking and chasing true love. For example, Daisy leaves
NIck for Tom as he can provide better for her), feeling restless (Nick moves away from rural America for
some excitement under the cover of learning the bond business. This is somewhat a result of his role in
WWI, but also to fill the void in his life. This is the same for most of the characters as many don’t know why
the Buchanans “came east”. “They had spent a year in France, for no particular reason, and then drifted
here…”) and breaking society’s traditions and rules. Modernism also bleeds through the page as a result of
Fitzgerald’s fragmented writing style.
Gatsby lived in a time of decadence where the demand for instantaneous pleasure essentially epitomised
the era. Due to this, Gatsby believed that "Why of course you can" repeat the past. In this regard, Gatsby
embodies all the shortcomings of such a lifestyle, as he centres his entire life dreams on a lost ideal best left
in the past. This highlights the need for a modernist approach to life, Gatsby needing to reject this tradition
of acquiring wealth in society to solve all his problems.
The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age was a cultural period and movement that took place in America during the 1920s from which
both new styles of music and dance emerged. This age is largely credited to African Americans employing
new musical techniques in conjunction with traditional African traditions, the jazz genre soon expanding to
America’s white middle class.
‘The Great Gatsby’ explores this Jazz Age through Gatsby’s car collection, demonstrating the new
technologies becoming popular during this “roaring twenties” era. This is evident in Chapter 3 as Gatsby’s
extraordinary and extravagant car is observed: “On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing
parties to and from the city, between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon
scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains.” Importantly, this visual imagery helps to create a
picture not just about Gatsby’s wealth, but also the lifestyle he sought to live.
‘The Great Gatsby’ also explores this notion of the Jazz Age through the female characters’ rebellion against
traditional societal norms. This is evident as Daisy and Jordan are persistently drinking and dancing and
smoking cigarettes. In this manner, Daisy and Jordan could be considered “flappers”, this concept of
rejecting traditional beliefs in society also links to the modernism movement. Furthermore, Jordan is an
interesting character who essentially epitomises such an era for the female section of society. She
represents a more modern woman, an unmarried and childless professional golf player, but she is criticized
by the male characters for her independence. This is evident when Tom says, they oughtn’t to let her run
around the country this way.”
Focalisation Through Nick
‘The Great Gatsby’ is told through the perspective of Nick, who acts as Fitzgerald’s fictional authorial
surrogate. Though, we are enlightened to the perspective of Gatsby and Jordan when Nick retells their story
from their point of view.
Nick Carraway’s Background
● Nick was “in the Twenty-eighth Infantry” in the “First Division during the war”.
● Nick is a young man from Minnesota, who “graduated from New Haven in 1915, just a quarter of a
century” after his father. A little later, he “participated in that delayed Teutonic migration known as the
Great War.” During this, he “enjoyed the count-raid so thoroughly that” he “came back restless”.
● Nick feels like “the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe”, which led him to
“go East and learn the bond business.”
● Honest, tolerant and inclined to reserve judgement or flaneur, Nick often serves as a confidant for
those with troubling secrets.
Nick appears to be as truthful as possible. The audience is positioned to believe him, as he describes his
“inclination to reserve all judgements” as he is often “privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men.” As
most of “the confidences were unsought”, audiences are able to recognise Nick as an easy person to talk to,
to trust. Though, despite Nick’s best efforts to maintain neutrality, he becomes increasingly subjective
towards the end. This change was caused by his friendship with Gatsby and his journey to courting Daisy
once more. Nick’s fondness for Gatsby affects his view of the story and is contrasted by his clear distaste for
the other characters and their lifestyle in the book. Ultimately, Nick is an imperfect narrator as he is not able
to reserve judgement, and has his own bias. Though, this is perhaps shadowed through the woven motif of
“one window” throughout the text, indicating that Nick’s narration is just one lens through which these
events are perceived. Nick even agrees that “life is much more successfully looked at from a single window,
after all.” Through such a statement, he is admitting his own bias.
Typically, the main character is usually one that has the most importance in the story and does the most to
support the plot. Based on this definition, Nick Carraway can be considered to be a main character. This is
because, while he typically remains an inconsequential narrator fading into the background of the many
scenes he describes, he is the one who brought Daisy and Nick together, enabling the plot to exponentially
grow and develop. Nick is told by Jordan Baker that Gatsby wants him to invite Daisy to tea at his own place.
From this point, Gatsby plans to see Daisy and reignite the spark they once had. As their connection
inevitably grows deeper and their new ‘relationship’ transpires, it all leads to a series of events causing a car
accident to kill Myrtle Wilson, and later Gatsby’s own death. Had it not been for Nick’s intervention,
bringing Daisy and Gatbsy together once more, these events may not have occurred. Thus, Carraway is
considered to be a main character in the sense that his actions contributed significantly to the outcome of
the plot.
Though, there is a counterargument that Nick Carraway is not a main character. While he is the focaliser
through which we see the world as Fitzgerald sees it, the novel’s diegesis is preoccupied with Daisy, Gatsby,
Tom and Jordan. Nick plays little role in the direction of the plot, other than setting up a meeting for Daisy
and Gatsby to meet. And though this was a turning point in the novel, critics argue that given Gatsby’s
strong dedication shown in the novel, it is likely that he would have found another way to reach Daisy had
Nick not agreed.
Fragmentation
Fragmentation is present in ‘The Great Gatsby’ in a multitude of fashions. This includes the fragmentation
of society, the fragmentation of Gatsby and even present as a physical manifestation in Fitzgerald’s writing
style.
Fragmentation of Society
This is most clearly seen in the division of East Egg
and West Egg, representing old money and new
money respectively. This separation is a physical
manifestation of a fragmented world as a result of
the betrayal, greed and elements of the social class
of this messy society in the 1920s. Where the rich
were regarded with esteem simply because of their
wealth, the poor were met with nothing but an
afterthought. The rich were awarded tax benefits
and were highly admired individuals in society who
had the ability to spend frivolously on recreational
leisure. The poor have none of this, Fitzgerald able to
effectively scrutinise the social influences prevalent
in the Jazz Age which lead to such a division in society.
At the beginning of the book, Nick introduces his house as in between two mansions, “Squeezed between
two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season”. The problem is that average
middle-class citizens are living right next to millionaires and their mansions, essentially rubbing in Nick’s
poor financial situation. As a result of this, Nick refers to his own house as an “eyesore”, demonstrating the
embarrassment he feels as a result of his lack of wealth. He describes it as “An eyesore, but it was a small
eyesore, and it had been overlooked”. The connotations of “overlooked” further supporting this notion that
the poor were never given a second thought in this New York society of the 1920s. As a result of this
judgement and value based on material acquisition, people are feeling forced to live a lie as they are
desperate to live with status and wealth. The American Dream is decaying and because of this, people are
destroying the world around them. The people in this book are all separating from something, just like a
fragment. All of this further validates that this society that Nick lives in is a fragmented, broken and greedy
society.
Fragmentation of Gatsby
Gatsby is a man of parts, not only in that he is fragmented as a result of trying to achieve his own version of
the American Dream, but because he is also an actor, a construct and a deceiver. To some, he “was a
German spy during the war”, to others “he was in the American army during the war”. Some even claim that
“he killed a man”. However, this is just one piece of Gatsby’s perceived personality, his reputation preceding
him as the glitzy party host and as a “bootlegger”, a dealer in doggy shares and a member of a criminal
fraternity as according to two girls attending his party. For others, he is just an Oxford man in a pink suit. But
the fact is, Gatsby is not uniquely any of these things, but rather a composite of fragments, regardless of
whether or not these fragments reflect any degree of truth. The one thing that emerges through an analysis
of Gatsby’s character is that nothing will ever be certain in his life, other than that his existence has become
increasingly confused and disordered since losing Daisy. The nature of such a personality is reflected in
Nick's description of Gatsby’s library as an elegant facade, full of books with uncut pages, a place where if
one brick was removed, the entire thing would be liable to collapse.
Fragmentation as a Writing Style
Given the novels focus on fragmentation, it is appropriate that so often it takes recourse to synecdoche a
device whereby the whole body is represented by one or more of its constituent parts. While this is evident
in the structure of the novel, it is even alluded to through dialogue in the text, Nick observing that “Though
all he said, even through his appalling sentimentality, I was reminded of something—an elusive rhythm, a
fragment of lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago.”
Juxtaposition
There is a real obvious juxtaposition between Tom and Daisy between their character traits. Tom is
described as a “brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen” whereas Daisy is described as
exuding “a stirring warmth” which “flowed from her”. Her voice also is described as “glowing and singing”
where Tom only uses his voice to interrupt others.
Another example of juxtaposition in ‘The Great Gatsby’ is when Nick observes “They knew that presently
dinner would be over and a little later the evening too would be over and casually put away. It was sharply
different from the West, where an evening was hurried from phase to phase towards its close, in a
continually disappointed anticipation or else in sheer nervous dread of the moment itself.”
Setting
‘The Great Gatsby’ is set during the Jazz Age and roaring twenties. It is represented by being a free-spirited
and fast-paced society. During this time, people felt a sense of liberation because the war had ended,
leading the economy to grow by leaps and bounds. At the end of the decade, the US was the richest country
in the world due to mass production. During this time, home appliances were common and automobile
ownership was widespread, these new technologies transforming society. In this time, people left the
countryside for the cities, resulting in the urban population outnumbering the rural population for the first
time.
The rich were regarded with esteem simply because of their wealth and were awarded tax benefits as a
result. These highly admired people spent frivolously and often participated in recreational leisure. The
poor, on the other hand, had none of this. So through the text, Fitzgerald is able to make a commentary on
the societal influences which were prevalent in the Jazz Age to cause such a disconnect between the
different classes in society. Such resulted in new societal characteristics such as more freedom, more time,
more disposable income and a stark chasm between the “haves” and “haves not”.
The Great Gatsby
By Sophie Arnold
Significant Quotes
“The colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever... now it was again a green light on a dock.”
“Gatsby still believed in the green light.”
“I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”
“In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures
to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores.”
“I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of the wild, unknown
men.”
“Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window, after all.”
“Why they came east I don’t know. They had spent a year in France, for no particular reason, and then
drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together.”
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated
back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other
people clean up the mess they had made.”
“Can’t repeat the past? Of course you can?”
“On weekends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city, between nine in
the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all
trains.”
“An eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked”.
“Though all he said, even through his appalling sentimentality, I was reminded of something—an elusive
rhythm, a fragment of lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago.”
“They knew that presently dinner would be over and a little later the evening too would be over and
casually put away. It was sharply different from the West, where an evening was hurried from phase to
phase towards its close, in a continually disappointed anticipation or else in sheer nervous dread of the
moment itself.”
“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such - such beautiful shirts before.”
“I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
The Great Gatsby
By Sophie Arnold
Ideas
● I like how the book explores the notion of the American Dream, and how unattainable it truly is. While
Gatsby had achieved wealth through his somewhat criminal activities, it is not this which he truly
yearns for. His dream is to have a future with his one true love, Daisy. This is what he has worked
towards for five years, his perseverance something of an inspiration.
○ I think Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy was destined to fail because she seems so
materialistic. When she reunites with Gatsby, she begins to cry over shirts, stating that “It
makes me sad because I’ve never seen such - such beautiful shirts before.” Who cries over a
shirt? It baffled me when reading this, to be frank, just how shallow the rich appear to be.
The reason she didn’t wait for Gatsby was that he didn’t have the money Tom could offer,
so she left Gatsby for Tom. It is clear throughout the novel that Daisy had a preference for
money over chasing her feeling of love.
● Myrtle is Tom’s mistress despite being married to Daisy who bore his child. In this sense, Myrtle
represents some sort of escape from reality. Though this is just an allusion, her death symbolises the
inevitable end to such naive thoughts that there is a true escape from reality.
● Fitzgerald’s writing styling involves describing things in as much detail as possible. While this can create
disengagement with the text at times, it is important to demonstrate the significance of possession to
those who value affluence.
● The text explores the position of women in society which contributes to the novel’s textual integrity.
This is evident when Daisy says “I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world,
a beautiful little fool.” By saying such about her daughter, she is speaking volumes about the women of
her time, their position, relevance, helplessness and their meek acceptance of such an existence.
● I do wonder though, why Gatsby took so long to pluck up the courage to see Daisy again. Why would
he wait until she bore Tom’s child before reaching out to her? What was his mental struggle to cause
such a wait?
What would a reader in 1925 gain from reading The Great Gatsby?
F. Scott Fitzgerald makes a commentary on just how unattainable the American Dream is in his text ‘The
Great Gatsby’. The individuals reading this novel in 1925 were likely embellished by the jazz age and the
affluence that was associated with this period, and so such insight was revolutionary and likely not all that
popular or favoured by society at the time. However, it was important for readers in 1925 to understand
how wealth could destroy an individual’s life, and how chasing money could lead to paths in life that are
perceptibly unfavourable. This can be seen in Daisy’s situation, choosing to leave Gatsby for Tom as he had
the wealth Gatsby could not offer. This led to Daisy becoming a cynical and materialistic person, crying over
some shirts because “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such - such beautiful shirts before.” Here,
Fitzgerald is making a clear commentary on how he perceives the people of this jazz age, their yearning for
wealth and acquiring of this materialistic security somewhat laughable. For readers, this perspective
demonstrates how shallow the rich can be, and how this translates to the American Dream, questioning
whether it is worth the work or not.
What can a 21st/contemporary/modern reader gain from it today?
For a modern audience, ‘The Great Gatsby’ is more than just illumination of the unattainable American
Dream. Rather, the text acts as a mechanism to allow readers to explore the notion of this almost hypocrisy
of the elite and rich. This is achieved through the juxtaposition of the sensibilities of the rich and the
working class, that is, the juxtaposition between Nick Carraway and Gatsby and the Buchannan’s. The
difference in their characterisation, particularly the difference in the morals and values of the rich vs the
poor, highlights a stark contrast of how the selfishness, snobbery and indifference of the rich have the
power to control not just the lives but also the deaths of other characters in the text. This is evident in Nick’s
narration, describing Tom and Daisy as “careless people” who “smash up things and creatures and then
retreat back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let
other people clean up the mess they had made.” Such a perspective is riddled with Fitzgerald’s commentary
on the ugly workings of the rich, and how they are able to exploit others just because they are wealthy. For
contemporary readers, this allows them to understand that the way the rich live is, in some ways,
undesirable and almost certainly unethical.
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties were a cultural period that took place in the U.S. during the 1920s. There was a large
development of automobiles, telephones, films, radio, and electrical appliances in the houses of U.S.
citizens during this time. Additionally, new styles of music and dance emerged largely due to African
Americans exploring new and traditional music techniques. This was a time of great wealth for the U.S.
following the First World War. The characters of the Great Gatsby largely illustrate the lavishes that the
upper-class citizens of this era experienced. Thus, the context of the cultural environment of this time is
indicative of the way in which the individuals within the text act and can be shown to have largely
influenced the creation of Fitzgerald east egg citizens. It can be seen that the west represents the new
wealth, while the east represents old money.
Materialism
Materialism is a major theme that evidently reflects the society of the time as the economy and idea of
gaining the American Dream grew rapidly. Gatsby is the perfect example of this through his love for Daisy.
All of the wealth and goods he gained through bootlegging were for Daisy in hopes of getting her back to
impress her with his achievements. The greed for wealth and the perfect imagined life is displayed as Daisy
initially didn’t want Gatsby after the war as he became poor. I enjoyed how it was narrated through Nick’s
perspective so there was an increased mystery surrounding Gatsby and his intentions and past, where the
audience only gains more knowledge as Nick learns more about each character on the way.
The Valley of Ashes
First introduced in Chapter 2, the valley of ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long
stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. It represents the moral and social decay
that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing
but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor, like George Wilson, who
live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.
The Green Light
Situated at the end of Daisy’s East Egg dock and barely visible from Gatsby’s West Egg lawn, the green light
represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and in Chapter 1 he
reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. In Chapter 9, Nick compares the
green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation.
The Great Gatsby — Character Analysis of Gatsby
By Sophie Arnold
Gatsby’s Aesthetic and its Symbolism
Jay Gatsby’s reputation precedes him in the novel, the Great Gatsby mentioned often but never seen until
chapter 3. When he does reveal himself to Nick Carraway, the focaliser of the novel, audiences learn that
“his tanned skin was drawn attractively tight on his face and his short hair looked as though it was trimmed
everyday.” This presents Gatsby to readers as a charming man, making them more inclined to like him as a
character. As Nick studied Mr Gatsbby intently he couldn’t help but notice, “His gorgeous pink rag of a suit
made a bright spot of colour against the white steps”. Importantly, his pink suit represents the love he still
holds for Daisy, and the hope he has that they will be able to reunite and live a happy life together.
Interestingly, the pink suit can be seen as tainting the white steps, symbolising Daisy’s diminishing purity as
a result of Gatsby entering her life once more.
Behaviour and Interactions
For Nick, Gatsby was an intriguing figure as “He smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly.
It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or
five times in life”. For audiences, such a perspective allows them to believe that Gatsby is a good man at
heart who knew the struggles others went through, that he was more than just a person who was wealthy.
It also adds to Gatsby’s characterisation, because it alludes to all that he has been through, making him
more likeable for audiences to resonate with.
Though, it is important to recognise that Gatsby is a bootlegger, and achieved his wealth through
questionable criminal activities and gambling. This is evident at his house parties, as “Almost at the moment
when Mr Gatsby identified himself a butler hurried toward him with the information that Chicago was
calling him on the wire. He excused himself with a small bow that included each of us in turn.” Historically,
Chicago was riddled with crime during the 1920s, the time period in which the text was set. This makes
audiences then wonder, why is he on the phone with Chicago? Who is trying to reach him and for what
business? However, audiences never learn of any victims in his crimes, or any involvement Gatsby had in
violent crime. Thus, he never alienates the reader, and somewhat ironically, emerges as an honourable man
in the end.
Motivations
Wealth is not Gatbsy’s main motivation, it is purely a means to an end. While Gatsby had achieved wealth
through his somewhat criminal activities, it is not this which he truly yearns for. His dream is to have a
future with his one true love, Daisy. This is what he has worked towards for five years, his perseverance
something of an inspiration. His devotion to winning her back is evident as she buys a mansion in Long
Island, across the bay from her house, throwing lavish parties and actively encouraging uninvested guests to
attend in hope that one day, she would visit. While his love for Daisy may be physical, it is also altruistic,
taking the blame for Myrtle’s death when it was Daisy’s fault in reality. He died for Daisy, and in the end, she
was not worthy of his love, not even attending his funeral to mourn his death. It seemed that for Gatsby, his
love for Daisy was not enough and his motivations seem ill-placed in this society where material acquisition
and security is more important than love and life.
Important Quotes
●
●
●
●
His criminal activities are pondered on by his companions
often throughout the text. Some were willing to “bet he
killed a man” because “he was in the American army during
the war”.
“You can’t repeat the past.’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried
incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’”
○ Demonstrates the inner conflict Gatsby has with
himself about wanting to let Daisy go, but also
wanting her for himself.
"The only respectable thing about you, old sport, is your
money... Now, I've just as much as you. That means we're
equal."
○ Highlights that now, Gatsby is everything Daisy
could ever want as he now has the same riches that
Tom does.
"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like
moths among the whispering and the champagne and the
stars."
Links to Modernism
Gatsby lived in a time of decadence where the demand for
instantaneous pleasure essentially epitomised the era. Due to
this, Gatsby believed that "Why of course you can" repeat the
past. In this regard, Gatsby embodies all the shortcomings of
such a lifestyle, as he centres his entire life dreams on a lost
ideal best left in the past. This highlights the need for a
modernist approach to life, Gatsby needing to reject this
tradition of acquiring wealth in society to solve all his problems.
Shaping 20th and 21st Century Views
Gatsby demonstrates to audiences just how unattainable the American Dream is, and that the values and
moralist ideals are ill-founded because even though Gatsby attained wealth, he is not happy. He did not
have his love reciprocated to the extent he wished with Daisy, evident as she refused to attend his funeral
even after dying for her. This would have significantly impacted 20th-century views at the time, forcing
readers to question whether this attainment of wealth was worth the loss of true human connections and
interactions. It would also make individuals question the motives of those around them. Why were they
trying to become wealthy? Was it for the reputation and adoration of others? Or the benefits and shield
money wielded for them? In essence, Gatsby'scharacter has the ability to change and shape the views of
the last two centuries, questioning the true value of money when compared to other things in life. This
impact was further extrapolated as the movie adaptations byJack Clayton and Baz Luhrmann brought light
to this message to a greater audience.
Midnight in Paris Study Notes
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a late 20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism. It represents
a departure from modernism and is characterised by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and
conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories.
Postmodernism is also characterised by broad scepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of
reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining political and economic
power.
In ‘Midnight in Pairs’, the prominent postmodern feature is the connection of time eras and the idea of
time travel. Although, the story is not necessarily fragmented despite the jump from one time period to
another, including from the present (2011) to the 1920s, and then to the1 890s during the La Belle Epoque
era. Despite weaving in and out of the 1920s and modern-day, Woody Allens effectively blends the two time
periods together very well. This is because Gil Pender’s time spent in the 1920s affects the modern-day and
vice versa, evident as he discovers Adriana had written a diary describing her time with Pender. As Gil reads
this in his own present, audiences discover that he had affected real people from the 1920s, and had
become a part of history, giving truth to the overall story.
More features of postmodernism evident in ‘Midnight in Paris’ is the blurred lines between genres (where
there are elements of romance but also comedy, adventure and history), the way that the events confuse
and perhaps even unbalance the viewer through the depiction of Gil Penders relationship with Inez (they
clearly do not seem right for each other, but it is this through projects the plot forward, encouraging Pender
to wander the streets of Paris in the night, resulting in his time travel) as well as the doubt of unrealism as
Gil discovers Adriana’s diary speaks of her fling with Pender in the 1920s. As he had become a part of the
history, it gave the story some truth.
Fragmentation and Time Jumps
The entirety of the film explores this notion of temporal distortion, as each night when it strikes midnight in
Paris, Gil Pender is sent back to the 1920s, his supposed ‘golden age’. This is evident as Pender encounters
some of the worlds greatest writers, including Hemmingway and Fitzgerald. At some point, Gil Pender even
meets Pablo Picasso. When Gil and Adriana both travel back in time to the 1890s, he discovers that while
everyone may wish to live in a different time or place that they believe to be better (their pre-defined
‘golden ages’), that they will soon become bored of that place. He communicates this by describing “to
these guys the golden age was the Renaissance. They'd all trade the Belle Epoque to paint alongside
Michelangelo or Titian. And those guys probably imagine life was better when Kubla Khan was around.”
Importantly, Pender realises the present is where he belongs and he should let go as he is “in love with a
fantasy”, as Inez stated at the beginning of the film. Ultimately, the use of time travel presents responders
with the opportunity to make new observations about themselves and the world around them through this
theme and exploration of wanting to live in the past. This experience and utilisation of time jumps also
presented Gil Pender the opportunity to sort out his own destiny, seeing truths for the first time about the
unrealistic nature of his dream to live in the past and to seek a new partner who will value him and will walk
in the rain with.
Art and Artists
In the movie, Gil Pender recognises that “I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a
book, or a painting, or a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t.”​​Such prose
explores this notion that there will always be something better than the piece of work you create, but that
doesn’t mean it detracts from the beauty of your own piece. This is just one perspective of the value of art
and artworks in a place that Gil Pender declares to be “the hottest spot in the universe”, that is, Paris.
‘Midnight in Paris’ includes characters depicting many artists of the surrealism movement, including
Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Man Ray. Such is discussed below:
Pablo Picasso
The movie incorporates the character of Picasso, imitating the authentic ‘La Baigneuse’ or ‘The Bather’ by
Picasso. Below on the left is the original ‘bather’ painting by Pablo Picasso in 1928, which was imitated
through the technique of pastiche in Midnight in Paris’, where audiences see the character artist attempt to
paint the picture. This becomes an interesting element of the movie, Woody Allen using it to correlate the
present to the past, Gil Pender learning the history of the painting through his conversations with Gertrude
Stein. However, when he shares this with Inez, Paul and his wife, they ignore his revelations. This highlights
the tension between Gil and Inez, highlighting the disconnect between the couple, foreshadowing their
break up at the end of the film.
Salvador Dali
When Dali and Pender sit down at a restaurant to
talk, Dali’s obsession with rhinoceroses is saturated
within his conversation, the character consistently
bringing up rhinoceros with Pender. His obsession
with this subject matter even led him to enter an
enclosure to paint the animal live and incorporate
such an image into his works.
Man Ray
When Gil Pender tells Dali and Man Ray that he is “from a different time. A different era. The future”, Man
Ray’s character responds by stating “Exactly correct. You inhabit two worlds. So far, I see nothing strange.”
Importantly, such dialogue helps to illuminate the perspectives of surrealists and how they analyse the
experiences of others. The conversation continues and the artists state that due to Pender’s revelation, that
they can “See a photograph” and “See a film”, Pender responding that he sees an “insurmountable
problem” as a result of his questioned love for Inez as his connection to Adriana grows stronger.
The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age was a cultural period and movement that took place in America during the 1920s from which
both new styles of music and dance emerged. This age is largely credited to African Americans employing
new musical techniques in conjunction with traditional African traditions, the jazz genre soon expanding to
America’s white middle class.
In ‘Midnight in Paris’, this concept of the Jazz Age is explored very well the first time Gil Pender discovers
that he is in the 1920s, no longer his 21st century present. This is seen in the images below, where the Jazz
Age was characterised by ‘flappers’, that is, young women who defied traditional social norms by engaging
in rebellious behaviour like smoking, drinking and dancing. This is seen as Zelda Fitzgerald is outspoken and
is seen to be smoking throughout her time on the screen. The other women in this scene also help to
portray the Jazz Age through their short bobbed hair style, the gaudy beads around their necks along with
the slinky, loose dress of a solid neutral colour. Sometimes, these dresses can be a little revealing, as seen in
the cut and make of Zeld’a black lace dress. The headband with the feathers and the dancing helps to create
this illusion and realism about Pender experiencing the Jazz Age first-hand.
Hyper Realism and Magical Realism
Hyperrealismin film is primarily a visual language as it works better with images to provide ahudiences with
a hyperreal experience. As a result of this, the audience is taken to the hyperreal scenario by images which
showcase their desires and need.
Magic realism is a literary or artistic gene in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are
combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy. It is most effective when blended seamlessing into
reality so that viewers do not feel inclined to determine what’s behind magic. Instead, magic realism allows
audiences to use their imaginations to lead them into the wondrous world of the story being told.
Woody Allen uses magic realism in ‘Midnight in Paris’ to allow Gil
Pender and audiences with him to extend beyond the bounds of
nature and travel back in time to experience these past time periods
firsthand. This helps to create a surreal and by extension, a
hyperreal experience for audiences, allowing them to experience
the roaring twenties through the Jazz Age as Gil Pender experiences
it first hand.
Element of Film
Technique and Description
Pastiche
An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or
period.
The movie incorporates the character of Picasso, imitating the authentic ‘La
Baigneuse’ or ‘The Bather’ by Picasso.
Intertextuality
The relationship between texts, especially literary ones.
In ‘Midnight in Paris’, Fitzgerald’s character greets Gil Pender by saying “and
who are you, old sport?”, a reference to Gatsby’s mannerisms in ‘The Great
Gatsby’.
Metafiction
Fiction in which the author self-consciously alludes to the artificiality or literariness of a work by parodying
or departing from novelistic conventions and traditional narrative techniques.
In the film, Gil is working on a movie script and later we understand that Gil lives the movie he is writing.
We, as the audience, are watching it at the same time. This notion is cemented as Gertrude Stein
enlightens Pender through Hemmingway’s observations, as “he doesn’t quite believe that the protagonist
doesn’t see that his fiancée is having an affair right before his eyes, with the other character, the pedantic
one.”
Temporal Distortion
A warp or fracture in the spacetime continuum, which can oftentimes be
associated with the phenomenon of time travel.
The entirety of the film explores this notion of temporal distortion, as each
night when it strikes midnight in Paris, Gil Pender is sent back to the 1920s,
his supposed ‘golden age’. This is evident as Pender encounters some of the worlds greatest writers,
including Hemmingway and Fitzgerald. At some point, Gil Pender even meets Pablo Picasso.
Faction
A small organised dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.
When Gil Pender and Adriana travel to the La Belle Epoque era of the 1890s, there were certain factions of
people, including Gauguin, Degas and other famous painters at the Moulin Rouge. A faction of writers is
also seen when Gil Pender travels to the 1920s for the first time, meeting F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest
Hemmingway.
Magic Realism
A literary or artistic gene in which realistic narrative and naturalistic
technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.
Woody Allen uses magic realism in ‘Midnight in Paris’ to allow Gil Pender
and audiences with him to extend beyond the bounds of nature and travel
back in time to experience these past time periods firsthand.
Midnight in Paris
By Sophie Arnold
Significant Quotes
“That’s what the present is. It’s a little unsatisfying because life is satisfying”. — Gil Pender
“We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but
to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.” — Gertrude Stein
“You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a
symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t. Because you look around and every
street, every boulevard, is its own special art form and when you think that in the cold, violent, meaningless
universe that Paris exists, these lights. I mean come on, there's nothing happening on Jupiter or Neptune,
but from way out in space you can see these lights, the cafes, people drinking and singing. For all we know,
Paris is the hottest spot in the universe.”​​— Gil Pender
“You’re in love with a fantasy.” — Inez
“People who live in the past. Who think their lives would have been happier if they lived in an earlier time.”
— Inez
“Nostalgia is denial. Denial of the painful present.” — Paul
“He’s a romantic. Gil would be just fine living in a perpetual state of denial.” — Inez
“The name for this fallacy is called, Golden Age thinking.” — Paul
“It’s called denial. Thanks again.” — Gil Pender
“There was some fine writing but it was not fulfilled.” — Hemingway
“I wanted to escape my present just like you wanted to escape yours. To a golden age.” — Gil Pender
“Yes but don’t you see - to these guys the golden age was the Renaissance. They’d all trade the Belle
Époque to paint alongside Michelangelo or Titian. And those guys probably imagine life was
better when Kubla Khan was around. I’m having an insight. A minor one but that accounts for the anxiety of
my dream.” — Gil Pender
“Because if you stay here and this becomes your present, sooner or later you’ll imagine another time was
really the golden time. And so will I - I’m beginning to see why it can’t work, Adriana. The present has a hold
on you because it’s your present and while there’s never any progress in the most important things, you get
to appreciate - what little progress is made - the internet - PeptoBismol. The present is always going to seem
unsatisfying because life itself is unsatisfying - that’s why Gauguin goes back and forth between Paris and
Tahiti, searching - it’s my job as a writer to try and come up with reasons why despite life being tragic and
unsatisfying, it’s still worth it.” — Gil Pender
Midnight in Paris as a Comparative Study with The Great Gatsby
By Sophie Arnold
Ideas
● Fitzgerald introduces Gil Pender to Hemmingway, who believes that good books are “honest books”.
Idea that Nick Carraway believes that he is the most truthful, but in reality, he isn’t. How does this
change Hemminway’s judgement? Makes me thing about the Le Guin quote from the essay task. I
guess good literature makes us think about the truths we believe and perceive and what is the truth.
Maybe that's how it shapes our world and reality.
● The idea of this “unfilled” book, good parallel to the Great Gatsby, is that the characters typically lead
an unfilling lifestyle.
● Fitzgerald addresses Hemingway as “old sport”, a reference to his own work in ‘The Great Gatsby’.
● Talk about how Fitzgerald’s wife adopts a new hobby each month. Could link to this notion that the rich
are unhappy and constantly unsatisfied.
● “Declare yourself the best writer!” links to the name of ‘The Great Gatsby’, both names indicating a
position of superiority, better than everyone else. Could also link to Gatsby as eking out a new
existence for himself, his own rags to riches story which adds to his 'Great'ness.
Comparison of ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’
● It is a commentary on the lifestyle at the time of how decadence and material acquisition leads to
self-serving and arrogant individuals. In this manner, the text can be seen as a cautionary tale about the
American Dream. This can be seen through Tom and Daisy’s careless behaviour, as “they smashed up
things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it
was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” Significantly, this
demonstrates Fitzgerald’s broad view of the rich, projecting himself onto Nick’s observations as an
authorial surrogate.
● ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Midnight in Paris’ is all about the golden age and attempting to live in the past.
This is evident as Jay Gatsby believes that you “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can?”. This is
an almost identical view to that of Gil from ‘Midnight in Paris’, stating “That’s what the present is. It’s a
little unsatisfying because life is satisfying”. Importantly, this shows the intertextuality of both texts,
exploring similar themes.
● The Great Gatsby also explores the need for dreams, even if they seem to be unattainable. This is
evident through the symbolism of the green light throughout the text. This is evident as Nick first sees
Gatsby stretching his arms towards a green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Here, the green light is a
symbol of hope. After meeting Daisy in chapter five, the light ceased to embellish what it once was,
“the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever… not it was again a green light on a
dock.” This symbolises the destruction of Gatsby’s dream to be with Daisy. However, at the end of the
novel, Nick’s final thought about Gatsby reveals that the human race will continue to strive for the
unattainable, as “Gatsby believed in the green light”.
● In ‘Midnight in Paris’, Gertrude Stein reminds Gil after she reads his manuscript that “We all fear death
and question our place in the universe. The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an
antidote for the emptiness of existence.” Importantly, this demonstrates the place Gil had in society at
the time as he attempted to make a change.
● In Midnight in Paris, Gil Pender importantly explores this notion of greatness and how it is an
unattainable dream, relating back to the same notion found in The Great Gatsby. This is evident as Gil
states “You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or
a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t.”​​And it's an interesting point
as Gil's epiphany coincides with the era's rise in the philosophy surrounding existentialism, which
would later be championed by thinkers like Sartre.
Feedback on Essay
● Introduction: Fitzgerald's modernist text is a snapshot of the 1920s as he saw it and lived within, while
Allen's postmodernist film does reflect on notions of a bygone era and peels back the layers behind
nostalgia and why the search for truth is at its heart.
● Paragraph Two: Add to this the postmodernist view in ‘Midnight in Paris’ that greatness is layered and
there are degrees of greatness, which can be seen when taking a postmodernist approach to The Great
Gatsby and why is he 'great' (or not at all, that it's a misnomer rather than an epithet).
● Paragraph Three: Include a contemporary example when evaluating what is learned by the responder
from these texts.
Curation of Quotes from Critics — ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’
Midnight in Paris
“Although the film suggests that we should enjoy the present for all it’s worth, we have a great time
enjoying this brief episode in a literate and beauty-filled past.” — Andrew L. Urban (2011)
“Adding depth to the comedy is a smart thematic idea: that golden ages are never golden to those living
through them, who merely hanker to escape their own period too.” — Lynden Barber (2018)
“An uplifting ode to the notion that honouring the idealistic side of ourselves is often the best therapy.” —
Patrick Nabarro (2019)
The Great Gatsby
“The Great Gatsby is a disillusioned novel, and a mature novel.” — William Rose Benet (1924)
“Fitzgerald surveys the Babylonian captivity of his era unblended by the bright lights. He gives you the bright
lights in full measure, the affluence, the waste… the ugly passion, the spiritual meagreness, the empty shell
of luxury, the old irony of ‘fair-weather friends’.” — William Rose Benet 1924
“The queer charm, colour, wonder and drama of a young and reckless world.” — William Rose Bennet
(1925)
“Fitzgerald intended ‘The Great Gatsby’ to warn us against the attempt to deny reality.” — Gary Scrimgeour
(1996)
“Moments of happiness or triumph from the past can neither be recaptured nor repeated, and for that
reason seldom can they be forgotten.” — Jeffrey Steinbrink (1980)
“Nick wants to portray Gatsby as ‘great; and to ignore or edit anything that might undermine that image.” —
Claire Stocks (2007)
“The dilemma that Nick, Daisy and Gatsby face is, of course, a human one as well as an American one:
whether to embrace the dreams of youth and keep alive the hopes bred in innocence or to face the reality
that such dreams are inevitably elusive and illusory because they are part of the past.” — Susan Resneck
Parr