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Modernism in Fitzgerald's Works

Modernism in Fitzgerald's Works. An analysis and comparison of Modernist themes of several short stories. Evan Widloski. Modernism. Cultural revolution from 1910-1945 Rejection of old ways Disillusionment with city life Rejection of extravagance and ornamentation.

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Modernism in Fitzgerald's Works

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  1. Modernism in Fitzgerald's Works An analysis and comparison of Modernist themes of several short stories Evan Widloski

  2. Modernism • Cultural revolution from 1910-1945 • Rejection of old ways • Disillusionment with city life • Rejection of extravagance and ornamentation Modernist architecture with clean, rectangular lines

  3. Common themes • Rejection of old ideas – realism, romanticism • Desire for material things • Protagonist whose dreams are shattered • Over-indulging culture • Blindness from wealth • Past is inescapable

  4. Winter Dreams • Follows the life of an ambitious young man • Changes life directions whimsically – Winter Dreams • Dexter meets a strong-headed girl, Judy, but she is uninterested in him • She only cares for wealth • They meet years later and Dexter brags of business success • Judy flirts with other men, and ends up marrying elsewhere • Dexter mourns over the years he lost chasing her

  5. Winter Dreams v. The Great Gatsby • Judy and Daisy play the same role in both stories • They represent the allure of extravagance and the emptiness from it • Gatsby parallels Dexter Green • Both were ambitious young boys with targets set on success • Focused solely on gain. Material earnings are everything. • Gatsby and Dexter's dreams are destroyed by their overwhelming attraction to prosperity

  6. Babylon Revisted • Charlie is a likeable young man with a sinful past • He seems repenting but his attitude is sly and extremely persuasive • Charlie comes to Paris for the purpose of reclaiming his daughter, Honoria • He is hopeful that he will get to spend time with her • There is a change of plans: Charlie will not get Honoria, and the story abruptly ends

  7. Babylon Revisited v. The Great Gatsby • Both Charlie and Gatsby led consuming lives • Changed their image and were presented as likeable characters • Despite being virtuous their history caught up with them and they pay dearly for it • Their dreams vanish immediately • Gatsby is killed without a fight and uneventfully • Charlie ends the story quickly, unable to bear the pain of losing his daughter

  8. The Lost Decade • Orrison Brown is asked to take Trimble out to lunch • Brown begins to notice oddities in Trimble's answers • He wants to see the backs of people's necks and he is fascinated by the weight of spoons • Trimble finally reveals that he spent the last decade drinking heavily and that he is trying to reclaim it • Trimble's odd behavior shows the absolute loss resulting from his alcohol problems and encourages the reader to appreciate the detail of everyday life

  9. The Lost Decade v. The Great Gatsby • Fitzgerald is able to convey somuch in this short story • Trimble and Gatsby experience a disconnect • They are both “dreamers” • Trimble lost a decade to drinking while Gatsby lost 5 years obsessing over Daisy • Orrison Brown and Nick serve as observers • They both make mental remarks, but never directly ask what they are thinking Drunk by Egon Schiele

  10. Fitzgerald

  11. Works Cited Images: • http://fitzgeraldmusings.blogspot.com/2011/04/he-knew-she-was-lying.html • http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/2006-06-05_1580x2900_chicago_modernism.jpg • http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium/drunk-inspired-by-egon-schiele-udi-peled.jpg Sources • http://gutenberg.net.au/fsf/WINTER-DREAMS.html • http://gutenberg.net.au/fsf/BABYLON-REVISITED.html • http://www.gutenberg.net.au/fsf/THE-LOST-DECADE.html

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