Examples Of Modernism In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said “‘Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me… They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different’”. Fitzgerald became popular in the 1920s following his well-known novels This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned. His third novel, The Great Gatsby, was written in the 1920s and became known as one of the greatest literary pieces of Modernism. Modernism was a movement that began in the early 1900s and focused on individualism. In literature, internal

This can be seen in Tom when he welcomes Nick to his house boasting, “‘I’ve got a nice place here’” (Fitzgerald 9). This scene is one of the first at East Egg. So, the fact that Fitzgerald decided to add this dialogue as the first emphasizes the point that arrogance and boasting are significant for this setting. It gives the impression that East Egg and its people are full of themselves and selfish. Another instance on the same day and place occurs when Tom argues that “‘Civilization’s going to pieces…I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read ‘The Rise of the Colored Empires’ by this man Goddard?... The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be- will be utterly submerged’” (Fitzgerald 13). This shared opinion reveals that Tom has tunnel vision. His meaning of civilization crumbling is not one that someone would typically think of. It shows the rich like him and the people of East Egg have no idea of what relevant issues are, like those of the Valley of Ashes. It conveys that the East Egg wealthy live a sheltered life. In contrast, West Egg, which lies across from East Egg, holds residents that worked for their money rather than inherit money from other

Additionally, the Valley of Ashes displays the consequences of wealthy people’s greed that the working class must live with. While on the road, Tom takes Nick to the Valley of the Ashes. This is when Nick first sees the place, describing, “This is a valley of ashes - a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 20). His observations reveal the living conditions of the poor. The working class toiled for the wealthy in hopes of creating a better life for themselves. These were the people that made the money for the rich and lived the way they did because of these same rich people. Later, Nick details an exchange between Tom Buchanan and George Wilson at the Valley of the Ashes where they said, “‘Hello Wilson, old man,’ said Tom, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. ‘How’s business?’... ‘I can’t complain,’ answered Wilson unconvincingly. ‘When are you going to sell me that car?’... ‘Next week; I’ve got my man working on it now.’... ‘Works pretty slow, don’t he?’... ‘No, he doesn’t,’ said Tom coldly. ‘And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.’... ‘I don’t mean that,’ explained Wilson